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THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014

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Capital bans marches for Labour Day and beyond

Post Staff

THE stage is set for a potentially violent confrontation today as opposition leaders and union representatives are vowing to carry out planned marches, while government officials and authorities loyal to the ruling party are making it very clear they intend to use force if necessary to contain the groups. A ban on assembly has been in place at Freedom Park since December. Authorities yesterday, however, upped the ante, blocking all entrances to the park with razor-wire fences and barricades and reinstituting a citywide ban on assembly that authorities say will take effect today, on International Labour Day, and last the entirety of the council election campaign period, which begins on Friday. An announcement released on the Phnom Penh Municipality website on Tuesday evening says Phnom Penh Governor Pa Socheatvong informed officials from all nine districts of the capital in a meeting that public assembly will be completely banned in the city from today until the end of the campaign on May 16. From May 1, all gatherings on the street or at public places will be prohibited, except at [party] headquarters and private locations, Socheatvong is quoted as saying in the statement. The Cambodia National Rescue Party began daily rallies at Freedom Park in December. Those rallies came to an abrupt end on January 4 when authorities, turning their attention from violently quelled union protests the two proceeding days, drove opposition supporters out and banned all public assembly. While the general ban was lifted in February, it remained in place in the park, the capitals designated protest area. But the latest decision marks a return to the blanket ban on gatherings across the capital. Last Labour Day, as in numerous Continues on page 4

A man walks past Phnom Penhs Freedom Park yesterday afternoon, where razor wire and other barricades had been placed earlier in the day.

VIREAK MAI

Arrest in UN murder
Vong Sokheng

OLICE on Tuesday night arrested a 35-year-old man they say confessed to the murder of Dutch national Daphna Beerdsen and the brutal attack on her 19-month-old daughter in a burglary gone awry at their home just off Norodom Boulevard on Monday. National Police spokesman Kirth Chantharith said yesterday that the suspect who an unnamed police ofcial identied as Chea Pin was arrested at about 9pm on Tuesday at Wat Than pagoda, just a few

Daughters condition grave

hundred metres from the home of 31-year-old Beerdsen, a UN consultant. The man had been imprisoned twice before on charges of theft in 1997 and 2007. After a police agent in the local area identied and questioned the suspect, we arrested the suspect at the pagoda, Chantharith said. The suspect confessed to the police that he acted as a lone thief, and we found the laptop and mobile phone of the victim [with him]. There is no other suspect to be arrested. The suspect, he added, was a homeless person who slept at the pagoda. According to police and neighbours, Mondays killing was rst discovered by a cleaner employed by Beerdsen and her husband, Joris Oele, also a UN employee. Beerdsen was found dead on the oor of the house, stabbed six times with a screwdriver. Her daughter, Dana Oele, was

found at her side, unconscious after having suffered blunt force trauma to the head. The child was taken to Kantha Bopha Childrens Hospital for treatment before being airlifted to Bangkok General. A source at the hospital said on Tuesday that Dana underwent brain surgery once that morning, but the operation was unsuccessful, requiring a second surgery in the evening. Bangkok General Hospital yesterday referred questions about the Continues on page 2

ISSUE NUMBER 1914

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

National
Bounced cheques get woman a trial date
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

Refugee idea raises red flags

Amelia Woodside

IGHTS groups raised a slew of concerns yesterday in response to an announcement on Tuesday that Cambodia has agreed in principle to take on refugees seeking asylum in Australia. Ouch Borith, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Tuesday that Cambodia was still studying Australias proposal, following a meeting between Foreign Minister Nor Namhong and UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Flavia Pansirei. But rights groups that work with refugees and asylum seekers currently in the Kingdom pointed to numerous red ags, including the haphazard application process that bars most refugees from obtaining identity cards or full legal status in Cambodia. A refugee certicate isnt even enough to open a bank account or buy a motorbike in some stores, even though some refugees have been liv-

An asylum seeker at Australias regional processing centre on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.

AFP

ing in the country for eight years, Sister Denise Coghlan, director of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), said. Asylum seekers are not legally allowed to work while their case is being processed, and even recognised refugees often lack documents

that enable them to seek legal employment. Citizenship can only be considered if the applicant holds a residence card and has lived continuously in the Kingdom for seven years. But for Cambodia, there may be other concerns. More than 1,000 refugees could be reset-

tled in the Kingdom, with the Australian government willing to pay almost anything, Australias ABC reported yesterday. But for the government, its the money thats the big difference Canberra is allegedly offering big money for Phnom Penh to take Australias refu-

gees, but no one is standing up to offer similar help for Cambodias stateless ethnic Vietnamese, said Phil Robertson, deputy director for Human Rights Watchs Asia Division. Cambodia has repeatedly said there is no nancial motive attached to the deal. Vivian Tan, spokeswoman for the Ofce of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, which ran Cambodias asylum program until 2010, said the organisation had not been invited to take part in the current, bilateral refugee discussions. In principle, we would be concerned by any practice that goes against the spirit of resettlement by relocating refugees to another country where they may not be able to enjoy their rights, or that may allow a convention state to divest itself of its responsibility under the refugee convention, Tan said. Last month, Prime Minister Tony Abbott conrmed that Australia had asked Cambodia to participate in the regional resettlement of refugees.

Police make arrest in UN workers murder

Continued from page 1

childs condition to the Dutch Embassy, which declined to comment, citing privacy concerns. A source speaking on condition of anonymity, however, said yesterday afternoon that Dana remained unconscious, and that the family was still waiting for an update on her condition following the latest operation. Police yesterday scrambled to organise a press conference at the victims home, where Pin, the suspect, was supposed to offer a re-enactment of the crime, according to the unnamed police official. However, the briefing was called off after hours of waiting, because

police wanted to wait until Oele, Beerdsens husband, returned from Bangkok, before holding the conference, the official said. The police official went on to say that Pin had allegedly been robbing the house when he was spotted by Beerdsen. Shouting ensued and the two briefly struggled before Pin allegedly stabbed Beerdsen. Several senior police officials declined to provide information about the arrest yesterday. Phnom Penh municipal foreign police chief Mom Sitha did not comment in detail, but said police did successful work and promised a press conference as soon as possible. UN-Habitat, the agency that

Beerdsen worked for, issued a statement yesterday expressing its condolences to Oele, who is also an employee there. All of us at UN-Habitat and in the UN family at large are deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Ms Daphna Beerdsen, Dr Joan Clos, UNHabitats executive director, said in the statement. UN-Habitat is supporting Mr Oele wherever we can and our heartfelt condolences go out to him and the couples family as they deal with this tragedy. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STUART WHITE

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Mourners pay their respects outside the house of Dutch national Daphna Beerdsen in Phnom Penh yesterday. PHA LINA

PHNOM Penh Municipal Court tried a businesswoman yesterday for allegedly issuing five fake cheques in 2012. Presiding judge Kor Vandy said businesswoman Var Sina, 40, was accused of issuing five cheques worth more than $560,000 in April 2012 to purchase three bulldozers and one excavator in Phnom Penh for business purposes. According to the plaintiffs lawyer, Chhy Sambath, Sina purchased the machines for just over $621,000 from his client, Afred Kasuma Aliwaga, 38, a Malaysian national and owner of United Mercury Group. As part of their sales contract, Sina paid some of the money to Aliwaga and issued the cheques from her Acleda Bank account to cover the remainder, Sambath said. But when my client took these five cheques to get the money from Acleda Bank, there was no money in her bank account. She has cheated my client, Sambath said, adding that his client asked the court to strongly punish her according to the law. The vendor took the matter to court and is demanding $100,000 in compensation as well as the sum still due from the alleged fake cheques. According to Sinas lawyer, Nou Chantha, she froze her bank account because Aliwaga did not respect the contracts one-year service guarantee. Within a month of use, the machines broke down, but the company refused to make amends for the damage. Chantha added that the four vehicles were already confiscated by Aliwaga. He asked the court to drop charges. A verdict is expected to be delivered on May 8.

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

National

Telecoms unconsulted on cyberlaw provisions

Kevin Ponniah

ELECOMMUNICATIONS companies say they are being left in the dark on the controversial draft law on cybercrime, despite provisions in the proposed law allowing prosecutors to order internet service providers to preserve data for them as part of criminal investigations. Three large telecom rms providing internet services in Cambodia have not been consulted or asked to review the draft law, company representatives have told the Post. The telecom sector has not been given an opportunity to review the draft and give comment ofcially. So, we are in the dark as well as far as what are the objectives of this Law, the scope, how will it be implemented and most importantly how it [will] affect our business, Firdaus Fadzil, head of regulatory affairs at Smart, said in an email. We will seek more information on this subject from [the] Telecommunications Regulator of Cambodia. Until then, I

think our position is neutral. opment Authority, said the optical sorting for rice with the all-new SORTEX S UltraVision The regulator could not be government had drafted a reached for comment. problematic law because of a Bhlers agship rice sorter features individual defect Paul Blanche-Horgan, CEO lack of proper consultation. detection technology, enabling processors to adjust the sensivity optical of each defect, individually and rice in parallel. of internet service provider You have to have a process Bhler takes a giant leap forward in intelligent sorting for Ezecom, a member of the involving all the people, all the London, United Kingdom, 1 May 2014 The with the all-new SORTEX S UltraVision Royal Group, said that his stakeholders affected by this Bhler Group, a global leader in rice processing and company had not been in- law. But we dont. We lack this optical sorting solutions, has further extended its leadership in intelligent optical sorting for rice with the introduction Bhlers rice sorter features individual defect detection technology, enabling formed about the laws de-flagship process, Leewood said. of its most sophisticated, highest-capacity optical sorter yet. Addressing changing and challenging market and processors to adjust the sensivity of each defect, individually and in parallel. tails either. He added that signicant consumer requirements, the all-new SORTEX S UltraVision signicantly increases rice processors protability, IanWatson, CEO of CamGSM, parts of the law had been by them to the exact quality London, United Kingdom, 1 May 2014 The Bhler Group, aallowing global leader indene rice processing and level for their rice, even when faced with highly contaminated incoming parent company of Cellcard copied wholesale from the material and in just three easy steps. Yield is not compromised, which enables processors to deliver increased and also a member of the Royal Council of Europes 2001 Cyoptical sorting solutions, has further extended its leadership in intelligent optical sorting for rice with the value for money to their customers. Group, said his rm, having not bercrime Convention. introduction of its most sophisticated, highest-capacity optical sorter yet. Addressing changing and been consulted, would seek The law was ordered to As much Bhlers customers vision as its own, the SORTEX S UltraVision tackles critical industry issues. challenging marketbe andmade, consumer requirements, the all-new SORTEX S UltraVision significantly more information about the [but] that person Contamination levels in rice are rising and defects becoming more subtle and therefore more difcult to detect. increases processors profitability, by allowing them to define the exact quality level for their rice, law, including from the rice tele[tasked with drafting it] someProcessors also face increased competition and consolidation of rice mills, plus greater pressure to meet demand communications even regulator. how doesnt have any backwhen faced with highly contaminated incoming material and indifferent just three easy Yield including is not for many levels ofsteps. rice quality, export standard. We realise the importance ground in law [or IT] so he compromised, which enables processors to deliver increased value for money to their customers. To meet this pressure, processors must dene which grains are acceptable and which they wish to reject. Existing of all of this, he said. has no choice but to copy it. optical sorting solutions restrict adjustment for defects without specic controls, so rice processors have been If passed in its current form, The law in its current form is As much allow Bhlers customers its own, the SORTEXforced S UltraVision tackles critical industry to compromise between meeting customer specications or minimising reject until now. The SORTEX S the draft law would modelledvision afteras the European UltraVision this. said Neil Dyer, Global Product Manager for Buhler Sortex. issues. Contamination levels inlaw, rice are and defects becoming morerevolutionises subtle and therefore more prosecutors to order the ex- countries herising said. peditious preservation ofdetect. the Processors However, the increased draft laws difficult to also face competition and consolidation of rice mills, plus Designed and built in the UK, the SORTEX S UltraVision is Bhlers highest ever capacity sorter for rice. With computer data or data refer- controversial Article 28, which greater pressure to meet demand for many different levels ofup rice including exporthigh standard. to quality, six modules, a patented capacity feed system and improved detection of defects, it is the culmination of ring to data trafc by telecom deals with online content and over 65 years of sorting experience. The Buhler Sortex design team have created a completely new optical sorter, companies during criminal which rights groups fear could To meet this pressure, define which grains are acceptable and they wish to from the ground up which and, packed with new, advanced, proprietary, technologies, the SORTEX S UltraVision investigations in urgent and be processors used to must silence governmeans processors need nocontrols, longer compromise yield in order to meet their customer requirements. duly justied cases. ment critics, doesrestrict not appear reject. Existing optical sorting solutions adjustment for defects without specific so rice Phu Leewood, a governto have been taken from the processors have been forced to compromise between meeting customer specifications or minimising In-built intelligence enables the sorter to make intuitive decisions about which grain is good and which grain should ment adviser on informa- European law. reject until now. The SORTEX S UltraVision revolutionises saidwhile Neil Dyer, Global Product be this. rejected, its specic defect detection capability allows processors to adjust their sensitivity for each of tion technology and former Posts and Telecommunicamultiple defects, individually. This groundbreaking functionality gives processors unprecedented control. They can Manager for Buhler Sortex. secretary-general of the Na- tions Minister Prak Sokhon now dene the exact accept levels necessary to meet their customers requirements - thus eliminating waste and tional Information Commu- could not be reached for comboosting prot. nications Technology Develyesterday. Designed and builtment in the UK, the SORTEX S UltraVision is Bhlers highest ever capacity sorter for

Bhler takes a giant leap forward in intelligent

Media Release

rice. With up to six modules, a patented high capacity feed system improved detection of defects, it yellow grains reliably, but agree that slightly grey or under-milled Many and customers stress their need to remove grains are acceptable to a certain threshold, said Ben Deefholts, Buhler Sortex Rice Specialist who, with is the culmination of over 65 years of sorting experience. The Buhler Sortex designup team have created other Bhler specialists, constantly strives to understand changing customer requirements, regularly visiting their a completely new optical sorter, from the ground up and, packed with new, advanced, proprietary, processing plants and quality control labs. technologies, the SORTEX S UltraVision means processors need no longer compromise yield in order to meet their customer requirements.
Until now, operators could not distinguish between different shades and have had to increase overall sensitivity in order to remove all subtle yellows, thereby also removing all subtle greys and ultimately reducing yield, according to Deehfolts, who explained that revolutionising this is Bhlers SORTEX ProSort software, featuring intelligent modes. These modes hold the detailed characteristics of individual rice varieties and defects, allowing operators to tailor sort quality precisely and improve yield. The new user interface gives easy control, allowing swift changes from one rice product to another, or one quality standard to another, signicantly reducing costly downtime. Processors can consistently achieve export quality by just selecting the rice variety, setting each defects sensitivity and pressing start, said Deefholts. Consistency of sorting performance is further enhanced with Intelligent Automation Bhler is currently the only company delivering a fully-automated sorter. By constantly scanning passing rice, self-learning as product changes and adjusting itself automatically, the SORTEX S UltraVision removes the need for manual intervention and consistently operates at the optimum level until the end of every batch. Increasing yields still further, even when a perfect accept product is required, is new Textured LED Lighting technology, together with proprietary-designed, multi-chromatic Ultra cameras, which now detect defects almost imperceptible to the human eye. Plus, Bhlers intelligent new Crosshair Targeting technology improves the accuracy of ejection, even at very high capacity, by ring just the right amount of air, removing fewer of the good grains with the reject.

The house of former Bavet town governor Chhouk Bandith in Svay Rieng province last year. Neighbours this week said they had not seen him for some time. VIREAK MAI

Nobody home at Bandiths

Sean Teehan and Mom Kunthear Svay Rieng province

Based on Bhlers philosophy of open construction, the completely new mechanical design of the SORTEX S UltraVision makes daily operation even easier. For instance, a simple release opens a cover, allowing unprecedented access to key optical areas, without the need to remove chutes or receptacles. An operator can routinely clean dust in seconds, preventing any build up of meal on the viewing glass that could otherwise compromise sorting performance. The same leading-edge design is behind SORTEX AnywarePro, which allows customers 24/7 visibility of online data for maximum product yield and sorting optimisation, fault alert, and system usage statistics. Customers can further benet from Bhlers global support, providing fault and predicitive wear diagnostics and system performance analysis. The all-new SORTEX S UltraVision forms part of Bhlers wider range of next-generation high capacity, energy efcient, UltraLine rice processing equipment delivering outstanding productivity, coupled with lower running costs, to help rice processors improve the sustainability of their operations and maximise their revenue, said Buhler Sortex Managing Director, Hamid Kefayati. The SORTEX S UltraVision therefore further consolidates Bhlers position as the leading optical sorting technology partner for rice processors and denes the future of intelligent optical sorting. Buhler Sortex is a worldwide technology solutions brand, recognised for intelligent premium technology and engineering quality, in optical sorting and rice processing, with a sorter install base of over 25,000 machines worldwide and a global presence in over 140 countries, underpinned by The Bhler Group with over 150 years in process technology. About Bhler The Bhler Group is a global leader in process engineering and is particularly active in production technologies for food manufacture and engineering materials. It operates in over 140 countries, has 10,300 employees and generated sales revenues of CHF 2,409 million in scal 2012. For further information contact: Neil Dyer, Buhler Sortex Global Product Manager, T +44 (0) 207 0557798 neil.dyer@Bhlergroup.com / www.buhlergroup.com Bhler Phnom Penh contact: Tel: +855 93 34 31 31 ofce.cambodia@buhlergroup.com

IN HIS Bavet town home, Chhouk Bandith lived in style. Before the former governor of the town shot three women at a garment protest in 2012, before he was convicted for the act and before he went on the lam to avoid prison, he resided in a sprawling two-storey house off of National Road 1 in Svay Rieng province, closed off from small shops and businesses by a metal gate. Not anymore. On a visit this week to the neighbourhood, Post reporters spoke with neighbours who said that while they had noticed some activity at the house, one of Cambodias most famous fugitives had not shown his face for years. A neighbour who declined to give his name said he believed

he had seen Bandiths nephew going in and coming out of the house, but not the former governor himself. I have not seen him for a long time, and I dont know where he is, the man said on Tuesday. No one is so interested in him anymore anyway, because they are busy with their business or work. The house sits a short drive down National Road 1 from the Manhattan Special Economic Zone, where recent worker protests mirror the infamous February 2012 demonstration at which Bandith pulled out a pistol and opened fire, hitting and injuring three women in front of the Kaoway Sports factory, which supplies to Puma. The Svay Rieng Provincial Court convicted Bandith of the crime last June. Since the ruling and the

18-month prison sentence was handed down, Bandith has not been arrested. Critics say authorities have made no serious efforts to find him. Multiple police officials in Svay Rieng did not return phone calls seeking comment. Cambodian Center for Human Rights chairman Ou Virak said yesterday that considering the lack of urgency on the part of law enforcement to apprehend the former governor, he would not be surprised if Bandith had entered and left the house. They havent made a real effort to arrest this guy, so whos going to hunt him down if not the government? When Post reporters visited, no police barricades or signs of surveillance were visible at the house, and no cars were in the driveway. No one appeared to be home.

THE PHNOM PENH POST may 1, 2014

National
to 20 years in prison, but the new laws require the suspect to be in prison seven-15 years, said Pol Som Oeun, director of the Appeal Court Council. Cleghorn who maintains his innocence asked the court to reconsider given that he has lung cancer and has already served 10 years and 6 months. I want to die in my home town. I do not have money, so I pick up tin cans for selling in order to get money to pay for medicine. I ask for a reduced punishment since I know that I have only one more year, he said. A verdict is expected on May 7.

Kiwi appeals jail term

Kim Sarom

Arrest as Bavet strike goes on

Mom Kunthear and Sean Teehan

THE Court of Appeal yesterday considered a request to reduce the punishment given to a 67-year-old New Zealander sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for raping five teenage girls. Graham Robert Cleghorn, a former Siem Reap bar owner, was found guilty in 2004 of raping ve former employees aged between 14 and 19. In June last year, the Supreme Court ordered that the case be reconsidered in light of new penal codes. The old laws required the suspect to spend 10

Five mourners injured

Kim Sarom

A WOODEN house in Kampong Chhnang province collapsed during funeral rites for its deceased owner on Tuesday night, leaving ve women injured. Villagers were paying respects to a recently deceased neighbour when the ceiling of the decaying house caved, said Rin Rotha, Kampong Chhnang town police chief. There were a lot of participants staying in the small, old house, [they were] praying to

the monks and then the ceiling broke, Rotha said. Rotha said three women were seriously injured: Tuk Chhengki, 60, who broke both her legs and back bone; Chhem Han, 73, who sustained a bleeding head wound; and Um Sinath, 72, who was burned by boiling water the women were about to cook with. Yeay Hum, 70, and pregnant Chap Sari, 30, sustained minor injuries. The injured were sent immediately to the provincial referral hospital for treatment, Rotha said.

OLICE on Tuesday made their rst arrest over a mass garment strike that has temporarily shut down entire special economic zones (SEZs) in Svay Rieng province. A day after an allegedly violent demonstration at the Manhattan SEZ, Chan Sarin, a 21-year-old employee at the economic zones Best Way factory, was arrested on property destruction charges, provincial police said. He destroyed the car of a Chinese man intentionally, and was charged with destroying property, said To Sithorn, Chantrea districts police chief. Sarins arrest comes amid a mass strike in Bavet town that began after factories reopened after the Khmer New Year break. Striking workers demand a onetime $50 bonus. Pav Sina, president of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW) which represents many employees striking in Bavet estimated some 30,000 workers are striking. All factories in the Manhattan SEZ and Shandong Sunshell SEZ have been closed since Tuesday, and the vast majority

Striking garment factory workers block a road near the Tai Seng Bavet special economic zone last week in Svay Rieng province. photo SUPPLIED

of factories at Tai Seng SEZ are also closed. If true, [the arrest] is a step in the right direction, said Ken Loo, secretary general of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia. Hopefully police will be able to take this individual and pull information [about other strikers]. GMAC yesterday held a press conference denouncing inaction by authorities. The association held the

conference after previously releasing two statements saying neither the government nor local police had taken any effective measures in stopping the demonstrations. During the conference, Loo said protests had turned violent and he believes for the rst time strikers have this week assaulted other employees trying to attend work. Orn Bandol, a 19-year-old worker at Kingmaker Footwear

in the Manhattan economic zone, told Post reporters on Tuesday that he wanted to work, but feared possible violence at the hands of demonstrators. Chaet Chenda, 41, yesterday said police arrested her son, Sarin, as she nursed a wound on his hand. My son joined in the protest, but I do not know if he caused trouble at the factory, Chenda said. [Police] didnt show me an arrest warrant.

City Hall bans marches for Labour Day and beyond

Continued from page 1

years before, thousands of workers marched in routes throughout the capital, rallying for better pay and work conditions. But in a letter sent yesterday to union leaders, Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Khoung Sreng said City Hall would not grant a request for gatherings in the park because the area is still under investigation over deadly violence in early January. The confederations, unions and associations can organise Labour Day at [their own] offices or a private place without marching, he said. He added that cooperation with authorities was vital to ensure the day ran smoothly. City Hall spokesman Long Dimanche told the Post yesterday that the authorities will strongly take action against those [union leaders] who still abuse the ban. But representatives of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union (C.CAWDU), Cambodias largest independent garment worker union, said its members would be out in force today. Theyre going to come even if the government and police arent going to allow them, said Sun Lyhov, assistant to C.CAWDU leader Ath Thorn. Pav Sina, president of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW), last night said he and other union leaders had agreed to meet in front of the National Assembly to hold the May Day demonstration. As of Friday, City Hall said, it will take further measures to enforce the ban. In order to strengthen security and public order, 500 police and military police will be deployed in every district from Friday the start of the election campaign onwards, including the election date of May 18, Socheatvong told officials. In a letter to the Phnom Penh Provincial Election Commission yester-

Cambodia National Rescue Party lawmaker Mu Sochua places a ower on a riot barricade yesterday at Phnom Penhs Freedom Park. phA LINA

day, the governor also warned that authorities would arrest anyone who defied or insulted authorities during the campaign. Aside from not being allowed to rally or march along public roads in Phnom Penh, Socheatvong also told political parties to seek permission from authorities before putting up election propaganda in public places. A big election campaign is not appropriate to the current situation, he said. He also warned that election rallies had been used in the past as a cover for demonstrations. But despite the announcements, Cambodia National Rescue Party spokesman Yim Sovann said his party would hold rallies during the cam-

paign, including a march in the city on Friday, which he expects will draw at least 10,000 supporters. What we have planned to do is legal. The ban made by the municipality authority violates the law of the election. So we do not respect this decision made by the municipality, he said. According to the law of election made by the NEC, we have the right to conduct the peaceful campaign through the country We must proceed with what we have planned We will gather and march throughout the city. Sovann added that the march would be led by CNRP leader Sam Rainsy, who arrived back in Cambodia from Europe yesterday, and his deputy, Kem Sokha.

Speaking to supporters near Freedom Park yesterday morning, Rainsy said: On International Labour Day and on the first day of the council election campaign, we will come back again in order to take back Freedom Park in the public interest. His announcement came shortly after CNRP lawmaker-elect Mu Sochua, who has been on a campaign to bring freedom back to Freedom Park since the beginning of April, failed to break through the wall of razor wire and shields that surrounded the area. Speaking to a crowd of about 40 supporters, NGO workers and journalists, Sochua said the anti-riot police guarding the area were breaking the law. [The law states] that each city must

create [a] Freedom Park where people can come and demonstrate peacefully and express their freedom of expression peacefully, receive information peacefully and assemble peacefully, she said. We are using the law to protect our human rights, our freedom of expression. This is the truth. The ban was condemned in a statement released last night by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR). CCHR strongly condemns the reiteration of the ban on assemblies in Phnom Penh and urges security forces to refrain from using excessive violence against protesters, it read. Ou Virak, CCHR chairman, said the governments blanket ban on [gatherings] should only be in place in a state of emergency. I think the government will do the best they can to prevent or threaten. But I think, yes, a violent crackdown is [more likely] now. Following yesterdays blockade, senior Licadho official Am Sam Ath said right now, Freedom Park is becoming Prison Park, adding that the action taken by authorities is a violation of peoples legal right to freedom of assembly. But Sochua said that she and the nearly 200 youths who supported her at the park yesterday will not be deterred. With plans to address issues in the garment sector, including calls for a monthly minimum wage of $160, Sochua said she expected a larger turnout for International Labour Day. Sochua and CNRP leaders Rainsy and Sokha, along with more than 100 workers, were due to offer prayers for the people killed in the January 3 clash on Veng Sreng Boulevard in a ceremony early this morning. REPORTING BY
KHOUTH SOPHAK CHAKRYA, MEAS SOKCHEA, ALICE CUDDY, MOM KUNTHEAR, KEVIN PONNIAH, CHHAY CHANNYDA AND SEAN TEEHAN

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

National

Crossdresser guilty

Jail for male sex worker turned thief

Sisamouths songs protected

Phak Seangly

POLICE BLOTTER
Getting away? Thats not their bag, baby
A SNEAKY couple in Preah Vihear province walked off with more than they bargained for during their daily grocery shopping on Tuesday. After approaching an unsuspecting vendor for some vegetables, the man and his pregnant wife, aged 32 and 28, saw opportunity knock when the vendor set down her bag to hand over the produce. The couple snatched the purse and made off on a moto, thinking theyd hit the jackpot, if only momentarily. Hearing the vendors shouts for help, a crowd seized the thieves and returned the bag, along with the $1,250 in cash it contained. KAMPUCHEA THMEY

22-YEAR-OLD sex worker was sentenced by Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday to four years and six months in prison for stealing from six men by disguising himself as a woman, a court ofcial and a police ofcer said yesterday. In six separate cases, Puth Sina, also known as Panha, stole cash, phones and jewellery from male customers after they picked him up at Wat Phnom in Daun Penh district. He is a man, but disguised himself as a girl while working as a sex worker, said Kor Vandy, presiding judge of Phnom Penh Municipal Court. He added that Sina was arrested by police on January 5. Seng Reaksmey, a Daun Penh district police ofcer, said Sina was picked up by police after stealing an iPhone from a customer on the night of his arrest. An accomplice, known as Pheak, evaded arrest. Sina confessed to stealing two high-end smartphones worth $700 each, three gold necklaces, two other mobile phones and about $70 from three different male customers prior to his arrest, according to Reaksmey. Sina pleaded guilty on all counts yesterday. The reason why I decided to disguise myself as a girl and work in commercial sex work is because I am a person who likes and loves men and prefers to have sex with men. The other reason is because it was easier to earn money, he said yesterday. BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA

N YET another sign of the governments growing commitment to intellectual property protection, the Ministry of Commerce yesterday accepted an application to register more than 180 songs as the property of the family of famed Cambodian golden age singer Sinn Sisamouth. At an event attended by the ministers of commerce and culture, Sisamouths son Sin Chanchhaya, 57, asked the ministries to take action against those who illegally copy his fathers work, the benets from which the family hasnt seen in the nearly 40 years since the icons death. I have evidence to prove [they are] my fathers masterpieces, such as melody compositions and 180 songs that were sung by my father, Chanchhaya said.

Khav Thorng Nhot, the widow of singer Sinn Sisamouth, looks on at the Ministry of Commerce in Phnom Penh yesterday as her family registers her late husbands music for copyright protection. hENG CHIVOAN

My fathers songs have been copied haphazardly since 1982, he added. I asked for intervention from the [Culture and] Fine Arts Ministry three times, but nothing was carried out. Chanchhaya said that the 180 tracks presented yesterday

likely represent only a fraction of his fathers material, which he said could number in the thousands of songs. Sisamouths widow, Khav Thorng Nhot, 75, said yesterday that living in the countryside of Stung Treng province, she rarely heard illegal recordings

of her husbands work, but that hearing any of his music always made her feel nostalgic. However, she continued, her family had never made any money from the immensely popular music. We want some benet from the songs, she said. Minister of Commerce Sun Chanthol and Minister of Culture Phoeurng Sakona accepted the familys materials, with Chanthol promising to examine and process them with the aim of protecting Sisamouths work under the Kingdoms intellectual property law. According to Var Roth San, director of the ministrys intellectual property department, copyright for a writer is valid for the writers lifetime plus 50 years. For Sisamouth, who died under the Khmer Rouge, the copyright would last another 20 years before entering the public domain, he said.

Farmer unfairly reaps what drunk driver sows

Former KR refuse offer for new land

Chhay Channyda

BANTEAY Meanchey provincial ofcials yesterday offered to nd new land for 74 former Khmer Rouge soldiers locked in a land dispute with their military bosses. The ex-soldiers claim that in the late 1990s, the government allotted each of them 50 hectares of land in Malai districts Tuol Pongro commune territory that their commanders allegedly sold for a prot before the soldiers could move in. Yesterday, representatives of the soldiers families, provincial authorities and

Mao Kiri, former deputy chief of Regiment E67, met to broker a solution. Provincial deputy governor Chong Pet claimed the families would be offered new land if they would move off of the Tuol Pongro commune parcels they began occupying in March. Pet stopped short of specifying where the soldiers could relocate to, or how much they would be given. We cannot accept the decision. We will ght to the death and not leave here, said Ly Khley, 46, a community representative and former Khmer Rouge soldier. Som Chankea, provincial coordinator

for rights group Adhoc, also expressed disappointment at the deputy governors insistence on evicting the soldiers. He did not investigate. He came to the meeting and it seemed like a decision had already been made, Chankea said. Kiri, now a commander of Battalion 511, said he was satised with the outcome. We have witnesses that the land was sold collectively to businesspeople. I am not a thief selling other peoples land, he said. So please, people dwelling in the area, leave and the provincial authorities will nd a new location for you.

A DRUNKEN driver, predictably, made a pigs ear of his ride home in Svay Riengs Bavet town on Tuesday, seriously injuring a farmer. The 35-yearold farmer was transporting food for his hogs when the careless boy racer, 24, careened into the back of his three-wheel ride, sending both the feed and farmer flying from the vehicle. The victim was sent to Vietnam for emergency treatment and police impounded the two mangled vehicles. nOkOrWat

Hunger pangs prove moto thiefs undoing

AN EMPTY stomach got the better of one moto thief on Tuesday when he stopped to chow down after making off with a farmers bike in Tbong Khmom provinces Tbong Khmom district. The hapless opportunist told police he thought he was all clear after checking over his shoulder and noticing the owner hadnt given chase. The bike was confiscated and the 35-year-old grifter was sent to be charged at the provincial court. deum ampIL

Man, moto reunited and it feels so good

AFTER losing his moto to a break-in artist late last year, one Daun Penh district local thought hed never see his wheels again. That is, until he went to a concert on Tuesday in Phnom Penhs Sen Sok district and spotted the bike in the arms of another man. Police swiftly arrested the 29-year-old suspect, who claimed to have bought the bike from an unknown seller. The suspect was charged with receiving stolen property and the prize ride returned to its rightful owner.
Kampuchea Thmey

POLICE in Battambang town picked up another street-level meth pusher on Tuesday, but are still searching for the supplier. Military police nabbed the 22-year-old with several small packages containing yama. Under questioning the suspect confessed, telling cops he began dealing in September, spending about $130 on each batch. nOkOrWat
Translated by Phak Seangly

Small-time crook folds but boss still at large

THE PHNOM PENH POST mAY 1, 2014

Business
Indicative Exchange Rates as of 28/4/2014. Please contact ANZ Royal Global Markets on 023 999 910 for real time rates.

USD / KHR

EUR / USD

AUD / USD

NZD / USD

GBP / USD

USD /CNY

USD / JPY

USD / HKD

USD / SGD

USD / THB

4,012

1.3823

0.9279

0.8576

1.6789

6.2482

102.14

7.753

1.2555

32.26

People enter a Chamkarmon district Alceda Bank branch yesterday in Phnom Penh. Acleda Bank started handling government tax payment services in Cambodia yesterday.

SRENG MENG SRUN

Acleda takes on tax collection role

HOr Kimsay and Daniel de Carteret

AX payers are now able to pay their dues at Acleda Bank as the government seeks to outsource its tax revenue collection to the private sector, the head of Cambodias largest bank said yesterday. In Channy, president and CEO of Acleda bank, told the Post that the tax collection switch would free up capac-

ity in government and make it easier for people to make payments. While Acledas systems were better equipped to track revenues owing in to the economy, he said. When we can provide good public services, it helps to ensure working efciency of the private sector, he said. The new system reduces risk and helps us to know the sources of taxes by keeping [a clear] record. All taxes, including property,

company and stamp duty tax, will now be accepted at Acledas 251 branches. The same rate will be charged as at government ofces but with better services, Channy said. Clint OConnell, a partner at Phnom Penh-based tax rm VDB/Loi, welcomed the move yesterday as a win for both taxpayers and the government. Acleda has a number of branches all over the country. This should make payments easier, and by doing so should

help with tax compliance and should help [the government] to increase its tax revenues, he said. Now we have a professional third party who collects the payment, so it should make the process a lot more transparent. An Asian Development Bank (ADB) report published last month, which surveyed 22 tax revenue bodies from around Asia, highlighted Cambodias General Department of Tax as under-resourced and under-

staffed affecting their capacity of the government institution to fulll all its duties. Moving revenue collection away from the GDT, which lies under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, would help speed up government processes also said Mey Vann, director of nancial industry department at the Ministry of Economy and Finance said yesterday. It is a good move that will improve trade facilitation for

businesses and the government institution can save time when verifying the documents, he said. Though tax payments are to be made in riel, Acleda will accept other currencies without charging a fee, Channy also conrmed yesterday. Cambodias GDT collected nearly $192 million in tax during the rst quarter of this year. Last year, the GDT collected a total of $881 million in tax revenue.

Crypto-currency eyes Cambodia with new terminals

Eddie Morton

CAmbodiA is proving to be an attractive target for crypto-currencies, with one of the most recently established operators of virtual money declaring their intention to rollout terminals in Phnom Penh this year. Officials of the foundation that founded Blackcoin, a digital-currency formed in February by a Russian developer named rat4, say they have secured the purchase of two terminals; one to facilitate exchange between US dollars and Blackcoin, and the other to make retail payments, the Phnom Penh based co-founder of the Blackcoin foundation Josh Bouw told the Post.

We are considering giving the terminals to local currency traders one in Central Market and the other in Tuol Tompuong, the 23-year-old from Canada said. The machines could be operational as early as July, Bouw added. The terminals, developed by Canadian firm Coinkite, accept a range of different crypto-currencies including Blackcoin and Bitcoin. Users input their crypto-currency debit card, then depending on which cryptocurrency you select, the machine will either charge your account directly or produce a barcode receipt that users scan with their phone to make a deduction.

The terminals allow Blackcoin holders to make purchases at places such as clothing stores and coffee shops that choose to participate. Like other crypto-currencies, Blackcoins are purchased online for legal tender and then traded directly between one Blackcoin holder to another without the need for a third party, such as a bank. As at 5pm yesterday, there were more than 74 million Blackcoins in circulation, with a total market value of more than $9 million, or $0.12 per coin. Bouw said he is aiming to bring more terminals to the capital in the future. There are now an estimated 290 different crypto currencies, including

Blackcoin and the flagship Bitcoin, currently being traded online. In March the Post reported local businessman Ki Chong Tran submitted a request to the Bitcoin Foundation asking for a $100,000 grant to establish a crypto-currency network with ATMs here in Phnom Penh. The Bitcoin article prompted an April 7 announcement from the National Bank of Cambodia that crypto-currencies would not be recognised as legal tender in Cambodia. The NBC cited inflated risk of cybercrime and hacking, money laundering and terrorism financing due to the absence of any regulation and consumer protection instruments within

the crypto-currency framework as key reasons for the refusal. Newcomer Blackcoin has also called on Cambodias largest payment transfer and remittance service, Wing, to help facilitate acceptance of cryptocurrencies in Cambodia. However, Wing CEO Anthony Perkins told the Post yesterday that while crypto-currencies are an exciting development, his firms stance on the issue was in line with that of the NBC's. Wing is not in a position to consider direct cooperation with such entities for electronic transactions or interchange until such time as they or their new currencies are recognised by the NBC, he added.

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

Business

Fruity decision

Unripe fruit lands seller in big house

COURT in Thailand has sentenced a durian orchard owner in Klaeng district to 15 days in prison, without suspension, for the crime of selling unripe durians to a customer. Vimol Srivichai, owner of a durian orchard, sold 20 durians to Bowdaeng Ratchasing, a visitor to his orchard, on April 21. The buyer paid 2,000 baht ($60) for 80 kilograms of the fruit at 25 baht each. Bowdaeng cut open the fruit and found that it was unripe so he reported the deception to Klaeng police station. Songtham Chamnan, an official from the Agriculture Ministry, went to inspect the durians and found that all of them were unripe. The court on April 22 sentenced Vimol to prison for 15 days, the first case in Thailand for this type of crime. Songtham said the case was a good example for durian orchards because selling unripe durians was a violation of the Consumer Protection Act, for which penalties include imprisonment and fines. BANGKOK POST

By one measure, China to be biggest economy

HINA is pressing for a vast Asia-Pacic free trade agreement, a senior ofcial said yesterday, as an alternative to a US-led deal that excludes the Asian giant runs into snags. Wang Shouwen, an assistant commerce minister, said at a brieng that China has proposed setting up a working group to study the feasibility of an Asia-Pacic Free Trade Agreement (FTAAP). The proposal comes ahead of a meeting in May of trade ministers from the Asia Pacic Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, which China will host. The feasibility study will look into the potential economic benets if APEC members reach a free trade agreement, how to make use of existing FTAs ... and whether we can use the similar aspects of the various FTAs to serve the general FTA within the Asia-Pacic region, he said. We think there will be no conict between the FTAAP and the regions other FTAs under discussion. The idea for the FTAAP was raised in 2006 by leaders of APEC, Wang said. That group has 21 members including both China and the US. The US has been trying to

Beijing seeks deal to rival TPP C

business people and academics from different countries. It will come up with suggestions on whether the FTAAP is desired and whether negotiations should start, he said. The proposal has won positive reactions from some APEC member countries, he added, though he did not identify them. Separately, China and Indonesia, which would also be excluded from the TPP , are involved in plans for another trade agreement involving 16 countries around the Asia-Pacic region and spearheaded by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Wang told reporters that the FTAAP can eventually be developed based on that pact and the TPP . Previously when commenting on the TPP , the Commerce Ministry has said that China thinks all parties should be open, inclusive and transparent while setting up free trade deals. They should be exible, particularly when dealing with economies at different stages of development, so that all economies can have more options on the road to ultimately reaching an all-encompassing FTA, commerce ministry spokesman Shen Danyang said last year. AFP

Toy soldiers with Chinese ags sit on the ground beside a roadside stall in Guangzhou, China.

BLOOMBERG

secure agreement on a TransPacic Partnership (TPP), a grouping of 12 nations including Japan, Australia, Malaysia and Mexico. All belong to APEC. However, the US-led trade talks have become snagged on issues related to Japans tightly guarded auto and agricultural sectors.

There had been hopes that Tokyo and Washington might break the impasse during US President Barack Obamas visit to Japan last week, but they failed to clinch a deal and negotiations continue. Chinese President Xi Jinping in October said at the APEC business forum in Indonesia that his country will commit

itself to building a trans-Pacific regional cooperation framework that benets all parties. The comments were interpreted by Chinese media as criticism of the TPP a key part of White House policy. Wang said the composition of the working group has yet to be decided but will possibly comprise government ofcials,

CHINA is poised to overtake the US as the worlds biggest economy, while India has vaulted into third place, ahead of Japan, using calculations that take exchange rates into account. Chinas economy was 87 per cent of the size of that of the US in 2011, assessed according to so-called purchasing power parity, the International Comparison Program said in a statement. The program, which involves organisations including the World Bank and United Nations, had put the figure at 43 per cent in 2005. BLOOMBERG

Abbott grapples with bloated public service

TWICE as many civil servants than mining workers were hired in Australias 10-year resources boom, enlarging the bureaucracy and inflating public spending. Cutting back is now a priority for a government seeking budget savings. In the 10 years through June 2013, 375,000 public sector workers were taken on compared with 173,200 mining workers, according to government data compiled by Bloomberg. Even as the mining boom boosted growth and tax receipts, the ballooning government wages bill added to strains on the budget and helped push sovereign debt to a record A$318 billion (US$295 billion). Ahead of its May 13 budget, Tony Abbotts seven-month-old government has pledged 12,000 civil service cuts and commissioned a panel to audit public spending thats due to deliver recommendations tomorrow. Fiscal austerity, along with cutbacks by commodities companies, is putting pressure on the central bank to keep borrowing costs at or near a record low. This has been a hidden boom that the government may see as fat to cut, said Martin Whetton, a strategist at Nomura Holdings Inc in Sydney. Public service redundancies would push unemployment above 6 per cent and keep it stubbornly high, and suggests that rates are likely to remain lower for longer. Whetton said the government could axe 5 per cent of the 248,500-strong federal public service as part of budget measures, based on past cuts by conservative governments. Underscoring the budgetary challenge, Abbott yesterday pulled back from his plan to give new mothers earning up to A$150,000 a year full pay for six months. The pay threshold for the Paid Parental Leave Scheme will instead be A$100,000 a year, he said, citing the need to deal with the budget emergency. There is a debt and deficit disaster that this government is grappling with, he said. Once debt gets to a certain level, you dont control debt, debt controls you. Unemployment reached 6.1 per cent in February, the highest level in more than 10 years, before dropping back to 5.8 per cent in March. The Reserve Bank of Australia cut its benchmark interest rate to a recordlow 2.5 per cent in August and indicated a period of steady borrowing costs is likely as it tries to spur residential construction and domestic demand to help offset waning spending on resource projects. There is a palpable sense of concern in the community about job security, Commonwealth Public Service Union Communications director Dermot Browne said. The other issue is the impact on people who rely on services. BLOOMBERG

Pork supplier pulls IPO

WH GROuP Ltd has pulled the plug on a $1.9 billion Hong Kong initial public offering as senior executives resisted selling shares at the low end of a marketed range, people familiar with the matter said. The worlds biggest pork producer cancelled what initially would have been the citys biggest IPO in more than three years and will return investors money, it said in a statement late yesterday. WH Group originally targeted a sale of as much as $5.3 billion and last week cut the size of the deal by more than half. BLOOMBERG

Fukushima operator rides bailout to prot

THE operator of Japans crippled Fukushima nuclear plant said yesterday that it booked a $4.3 billion annual net prot owing to an electricity rate hike and a government bailout following the 2011 disaster. Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) was teetering on the brink as clean-up and compensation costs stoked huge losses and threatened to collapse the sprawling utility until Tokyo stepped with a multibilliondollar rescue. The company at the centre of the worst nuclear accident in a generation said it earned 438.65 billion ($4.3 billion) in the scal year to March, compared with a net loss of 685.3 billion in the same period a year earlier. Sales rose 11 per cent to 6.63 trillion, it said. The companys results got a boost from a rate hike, and helped offset a decline in the amount of electricity TEPCO sold owing to warmer-thanusual winter weather, it said. It also booked a special gain of 1.8 trillion based on funds the company received from a government-backed bailout fund as well as asset sales. However, it added that rising fossil fuel costs after Japan switched off its nuclear reactors were pressuring its bottom line. The Fukushima plants cooling systems were swamped by the 2011 tsunami, sparking reactor meltdowns and radiation leaks. AFP

BoJ lowers growth forecast

BANK of Japan policymakers yesterday cut their economic growth expectations, as tepid data and a sales tax rise fuel fears about the strength of the nations recovery. The downgraded forecasts are likely to boost speculation of more monetary easing, with the BoJs chief saying he would not hesitate to unleash further measures as the bank chases an ination target seen as key to reversing years of falling prices and lacklustre growth. The comments from the central banks governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, came after the BoJ held re on expanding its massive stimulus drive after a policy meeting yesterday. There is no change to our stance that we would not hesitate to make adjustments to achieve the 2 per cent ination target if risk factors change our outlook, he said. The banks price target and the massive easing campaign launched last year is a cornerstone of Premier Shinzo Abes wider bid to drag the country out of years of deation. Kuroda has said that the economy was pushing ahead despite fears that the April 1 tax rise would dampen consumer spending. The BoJ yesterday pointed to slowing exports as it said the worlds number three economy would expand by 1.1 per cent in the scal year to next March, down from an earlier 1.4 per cent forecast, according to a semi-annual report which gauges the median of members views. However, expectations that ination would come in at 1.3 per cent over the same time period were unchanged. The report was seen as a key measure of whether the BoJ still thinks it can stoke lasting ination, but there are doubts among a growing number of observers who warn the bank could be forced further to expand its monetary easing to counter a downturn in the economy. I wonder how they would explain the price increase while revising down the growth forecast, Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute, said. This gives me an impression that the ination gures are articially crafted. Prices tend to rise as demand for goods strengthens, boosting the wider economy. AFP

Xbox to roll out in China

MICROSOFT will later this year start offering its Xbox One game console with a local partner in China, where such devices were banned for more than a decade. In January, China authorised the domestic sale of game consoles made in its first free trade zone in Shanghai, potentially opening up a lucrative market to industry heavyweights such as Microsoft and Japans Sony and Nintendo. AFP

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

Markets Business Flood concerns eased by cassava price hikes

Chan Muyhong Thik Kalliyann

Work begins on mega resort

ONSTRUCTION began yesterday on the Sokha Hotel Groups 600-room luxury resort in Siem Reap right next door to Angkor Wat. Named the Sokha Siem Reap Resort, both company and government ofcials were out in force at yesterdays groundbreaking ceremony, talking up the perks of the new complex located in an area reserved by the Ministry of Tourism for hotel development, next to Cambodias best-known historical temple complex. After receiving an ofcial permission from APSARA Authority this year, we held the groundbreaking ceremony, and we will start to construct our resort today, said Heu Heng, deputy director-general of Sokimex Group, referring to the authority that manages Angkor Wat. Heng declined to reveal how much had been invested in the mega resort. Spanning 23 hectares of land and located just 4 kilometres from the centre of Siem Reap, the resort will feature three ve-star hotels complete with pool, gym and conference facilities, capable of catering to up to 1,5000 people at a time. For the decoration, we will follow our Khmer traditional style mixed with some mod-

DESPITE ood damage causing reduced production levels, cassava farmers in Pailin province are beneting from an increase in the purchas \ing price, provincial department of agriculture ofcials say. This years harvest dropped to 25 tonnes per hectare from 30 tonnes per hectare last season because of the heavy rain that happened in September and October last year, said Chhil Chhen, deputy director of Pailins provincial department of agriculture. Chhen said prices have increased due to more local buyers and foreign-owned companies moving into the province which borders Thailand who then export the cassava. Since the previous season, dried cassava prices have risen from 10 cents to 20 cents per kilo and fresh cassava have increased from 5 cents to 10 cents per kilo, Chen added. Just in 2012 and 2013, we have seen a Malaysian and a Chinese company establish themselves in Pailin province to buy cassava directly from local buyers or farmers, Chhen said. The increases come after years of falling prices driven by sluggish domestic demand and a competitive Thai market, according to local farmers.

For the past ve years, farmers were left with little choice but to lower prices to attract local and Thai buyers, said Meas Mol, the owner of a 50hectare cassava plantation. At that time, there were not many local buyers and we had no other market for our crops besides Thailand. Most of the farmers at that time all experienced losses, Mol said, adding that he hopes the current prices remain steady for next season. The cassava harvesting season runs from December to April. Chhun Taing Orn, another Pailin cassava farmer, said last years oods had spoiled a large portion of his land. I hope the price remains as it is today or gets higher as I have to pay for labour and petrol to transport the crop to buyers. It [will also be] months until I can harvest again, he said. Moul Sam, the accountant for cassava export rm Chamroeun Chey Company, said increased competition had meant a slow down for his business but welcomed healthy prices for the provinces farmers. Though the total crops decrease, the price remains good. It is good for them, he said. Pailin agriculture department data show 80 per cent of the 37,000 hectares of land is used for cassava.

Workers lay the rst foundation of the Sokha Siem Reap Resort during a groundbreaking ceremony in Siem Reap province yesterday. THIK KALIYANN

ern style in order to make it different and gain more attraction; especially the construction planning is followed to APSARA Authoritys advice Heng said at the groundbreaking ceremony. The resort will be built within the City of Culture and Tourism of Angkor Hotel Zone, a 1,000-hectare area next to Angkor Wat allocated for luxury development and designed to reduce the burden of mass hotel growth within

city limits, according to the APSARA Authority website. Last year, Siem Reap welcomed more than two million foreign tourists an increase of about 10 per cent from 2012, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism. So Mara, a secretary of state at the ministry, said that the resort would be an economic boon for a province already on the up. I think it will attract a lot of tourists when it starts to open,

and we expect the number of visitors to Siem Reap will continue to rise, he said. Mara added that the new resort would also prove to be a rich source of much-needed local jobs. The new mega resort marks the companys sixth major tourism construction development in the Kingdom, Sokha Hotel Groups Heng said yesterday. APSARA Authority could not be reached for comment.

Port volume on the rise in Q1 Malaysia to launch budget

May Kunmakara

CARGO volumes at Cambodias two largest ports increased steadily during the first three months of the year, signalling stability in the Kingdoms economy, port officials say. Data from Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (SAP), Cambodias largest shipping dock, showed more than 860,000 20-foot-long shipping containers passed through the port during the first quarter of the year, up 13 per cent from the same period last year. While imports accounted for more than three-quarters of the ports total volume figures, exports increased 35 per

cent year-on-year, the SAP figures show. Chea Sambath, chief of SAPs planning and marketing department, said the increase in both import and export shipments from the countrys largest port entry demonstrate the Cambodian economys secure foothold and ability to withstand political and social turbulence. The rise of import and exports of goods reflects the growth of our economy even when we have some demonstrations, which cause production in some factories to slow down, he said. Sambath pointed out that between January and March, the port saw a notable increase

in agricultural exports, especially milled rice, as well as continued high levels of garment and textile exports. Meanwhile, the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (PPAP) saw an 18 per cent increase in volume with some 29,000 containers passing through between January and March, compared with 24,000 containers a year earlier. Hei Bavy, director-general of PPAP , said the first-quarter rise was not as great as he had hoped, and blamed slow progress in regional and global economies. The volume of import and export is still increasing at the same rate as we have seen in the past few years, he said.

airport in MH370 shadow

MALAYSIA this week opens what it calls the worlds largest airport built specifically for low-cost airlines, a project driven by budget travels phenomenal growth but which debuts under the shadow of missing flight MH370. The $1.2 billion facility near the main Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) was originally targeted to open three years ago but has been hit by repeated delays, amid concerns over safety and subpar construction, even as costs have doubled. But the new KLIA2 budget terminal will begin operations on Friday with an initial 56 flights, increasing the load as airlines move full operations over from a nearby existing facility in coming days. Analysts and the travelling public agree that the opening of a new budget terminal is long overdue. The current low-cost terminal is a cramped and bare-bones facility that resembles a bus station. Capacity is 15 million passengers, but about 22 million squeezed through last year. The gleaming KLIA2 meanwhile covers an area equal to 24 football fields, authorities said, about four times the size of the facility it is replacing. Its modern design features soaring ceilings, natural lighting, people-mover belts and improved connectivity with access to an existing express airport train to Kuala Lumpur 50 kilometres (31 miles) away. Malaysia-based Malindo Air, the Philippines Cebu Pacific Air, Singapores Tiger Airways, and Indonesias Lion Air and Mandala Airlines will begin initial operations there on Friday. Regional low-cost leader AirAsia plans to join them by May 9, when the old terminal is due to close. About 24 million passengers are expected to pass through KLIA2 in the first 12 months, and annual capacity is 45 million. Current capacity at the main KLIA terminal is roughly 40 million, but expansion plans are in the works. KLIA2 will cement Kuala Lumpurs position as a thriving hub for both low-cost and fullservice travel, said Bashir Ahmad, managing director of state-linked airport operator Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB), which construct-

Japan airline prot nosedives

JAPANS two biggest airlines said yesterday that their full-year net profit had tumbled despite higher demand for air travel, blaming high fuel costs for shrinking their bottom line. All Nippon Airways (ANA) took the biggest hit with its operator saying that net profit nosedived by 56 per cent to 18.89 billion ($185 million) in the fiscal year to March. Revenue, however, came in at a record 1.6 trillion, up from 1.48 trillion in the previous 12 months, helped by a gradual recovery in the Japanese economy, ANA Holdings said. ANAs biggest domestic rival Japan Airlines said that its fiscal year net profit slipped 3.2 per cent, and warned that earnings this year would also stumble. The carrier said it booked a 166.25 billion net profit in the year to March, down from 171.67 billion a year earlier, while revenue ticked up to 1.31 trillion from 1.24 trillion. For the current year to March 2015, JAL forecast that net profit would come in lower at 115 billion. The escalation of fuel costs due to the weak yen may prevail and competition may intensify in both international and domestic markets, it said. A sharp drop in the yen, while giving a boost to Japanese exporters, has hurt the countrys airlines by pushing up the cost of fuel, often a carriers single biggest expense. The yen has lost about a quarter of its value against the dollar since late 2012 following a policy blitz launched by Japanese premier Shinzo Abe and his hand-picked team at the Bank of Japan, aimed at kick-starting economic growth and beating deflation. ANA said its fuel costs jumped 22 per cent from a year earlier, as it forecasted a net profit of 35 billion on revenue of 1.7 trillion in the current year to March. AFP

ed the new budget terminal. Kuala Lumpur has been at the core of a regional budget-travel boom credited in large part to Malaysia-based AirAsia. But the still-unexplained March 8 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which took off from the main KLIA, has raised worldwide concern over Malaysian aviation and focused attention on KLIA2s problems. Its delays and rising costs resulted in an ongoing inquiry by a parliamentary committee and claims last month by impatient AirAsia officials of many concerns, especially on functionality, safety and security. These included depressions on runways and taxiways, said the airline, which threatened not to move in. MAHB has acknowledged KLIA2 is on unstable ground that will require years of upkeep. AFP

Kuala Lumpur International Airports new low-cost terminal.

AFP

10

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

Business

Twitter stock tumbles as user growth disappoints

TWITTER shares sank on Tuesday to their lowest levels since the companys market debut after the popular messaging platform reported a jump in revenues but disappointing growth in users. The net loss for the first quarter amounted to $132 million, wider than the $27 million deficit a year earlier, largely due to a rise in stock compensation, Twitter said in its earnings statement. Revenue grew 119 per cent from a year ago to $250 million, and monthly active users rose to 255 million. Twitter shares plunged 10.6 per cent to $38.08 in after-hours trade even though the revenue figures were better than expected. That was the lowest since the market debut last November. The number everyone wants to see get bigger faster is average monthly active users [MAUs], Paul Ausick said, adding that the gain in users was 25 per cent for the year but just 5.8 per cent for the past quarter. These numbers are good, but not good enough, Ausick said in a blog post. The consensus estimate for MAUs was 257 million and that relatively small difference has crushed the shares in after-hours. Arvind Bhatia, analyst at Sterne Agee, said the results were mixed. User metrics, including reach and engagement, were slightly better than the fourth quarter but not as strong as the street expected, he said in a research note. Market action in the tech sector has also been volatile in recent weeks amid fears of a bubble based on the stretched valuations of some companies. Twitter chief executive Dick Costolo put a positive spin on the results. We had a great first quarter, Costolo said on the companys earnings call. He added that revenue growth accelerated and that the company was making progress on its plans including making Twitter more visually engaging. Costolo added that people are not turning away from Twitter. Our net new users are just as engaged as our existing users, which is great, he said. Twitter isnt the only tech firm that has seen its share price drop recently. Chinas Tencent Holdings Ltd fell to a four-month low in Hong Kong amid growing concern that internet companies are overvalued. It slid 5.2 per cent to HK$483.20 at the close in Hong Kong. The stock has lost 24 per cent since March 6, after a 1,266 per cent surge during the previous five years sent its price-toearnings ratio to its highest level since 2008. Yahoo Japan Corp slid 5.5 per cent in Tokyo, while Rakuten Inc retreated 4.3 per cent. Technology companies have led gains in Asian shares during the past 12 months on speculation growing demand for social networking, e-commerce and online games will boost earnings and fuel takeovers in the industry. Investors are concerned about companies such as Tencent which have high valuations, Chen Geng, an analyst at Phillip Securities HK Ltd, said by phone in Hong Kong yesterday. This is a reasonable correction. Tencent, Asias largest listed Internet firm, has lost about $36 billion of market value since closing at a record high in Hong Kong trading on March 6. The company posted fourthquarter net income that trailed analysts estimates last month on higher costs for its WeChat messaging service. The fundamentals of the company are still good, Chen said. The commercialisation of Wechat is proceeding and theres no evidence of it lagging behind its rivals. AFP
Started: March 21, 2006 Incorporated: April 2007 Monthly active users: 73.31 Dec 26 65.97 Feb 5 54.50 Mar 12 50.03 Feb 6 40.05 Apr 11 Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr 42.62 Apr 29

Protesters in front of the headquarters of engineering group Alstom yesterday urge the company to ensure that any deal it makes to sell its energy assets wont see French workers lose their jobs. AFP

GE nears deal to buy Alstom energy assets

HE battle between General Electric and Siemens for Alstoms prized energy business heated up yesterday, as the board of the French national jewel approved an offer by the US giant and the German company upped its rival bid. GE and Siemens have been publicly vying for Alstoms energy assets for several days in a politically sensitive battle over the engineering giant. In a statement, Alstom said yesterday that its board, which met the previous evening, was in favour of a 12.4 billion ($17 billion) bid for its energy arm by GE, without closing the door to other proposals. It said it acknowledged unanimously the strategic and industrial merits of this (GE) offer and had decided to set up a committee to review the bid by the end of May. It has however reserved the right to respond to unsolicited offers for its entire energy business and engage in discussions with bidders demonstrating a serious interest that could lead to a superior offer for Alstom, the group added.

Twitter
Share performance
70 $44.90 60 Nov 7 First trading day 50

255 million

40

Source: Twitter/Yahoo Finance

News the rm could fall into US hands met an angry response from French Economy Minister Arnaud Montebourg, who blasted Alstom head Patrick Kron for not informing the government of takeover talks, accusing him of deliberately keeping him in the dark. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls took a more conciliatory tone Wednesday, telling France Inter radio that the view of the government had been taken into account over the future of what he has described as a company of national strategic importance. In a bid to further reassure the government, Kron said yesterday the state would

have a say on the outcome of negotiations over Alstoms energy assets. He added that French construction, media and telecom group Bouygues, a key shareholder in Alstom, would retain its holding of 29 per cent. Siemens, meanwhile, values Alstoms energy business at 10.5 billion to 11 billion, and has offered to hand over part of its trains business to the French company in the deal. In a letter from the German engineering giant to Alstom, the rm upped this part of the bid to include its underground trains business as well as the high-speed trains section of the rm. AFP

Sanctions could backre

PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin on Tuesday warned that new EU and US sanctions could impact the work of Western energy companies in Russia and denied there were any Kremlin forces in eastern Ukraine. If this continues, we will of course have to think about how [foreign companies] work in the Russian Federation, including in key sectors of the Russian economy such as energy, Putin told reporters in televised comments from a regional summit in Minsk. The United States has warned that it may soon unveil sanctions against the Russian energy and banking sectors should the Kremlin fail to help ease the crisis engulfing its western neighbour. Putins comments threaten the operations of some of the worlds biggest energy companies in the resource-rich state once viewed as a reliable alternative to unstable natural gas and oil producing countries in the Middle East. Russias main state oil firm Rosneft has struck a series of energy production deals with companies ranging from the US super-major ExxonMobil to Norways Statoil and Italys ENI. State-held natural gas giant Gazprom is also working with the Anglo-Dutch energy group Royal Dutch Shell off Russias Pacific coast. Washington on Tuesday slapped a travel ban and asset freeze on Rosneft chief Igor Sechin one of seven officials named on a new sanctions list that also included 17 Kremlin-linked firms. These measures do not directly impact the companys operations in the West, and BP on Monday said it remained committed to both Rosneft and Russia. The veteran Russian leaders said he saw no logic behind the latest wave of sanctions against Russia and accused the United States of pushing Ukraine toward crisis by backing the interim leaders who toppled a pro-Kremlin president in February. Also on Tuesday, Gazprom posted a second successive drop in annual profits and warned that the escalating crisis in Ukraine could disrupt its crucial supplies to Europe. The worlds biggest gas producer admitted that the threat of US sanctions on the Russian energy sector could impact its operations and damage the wider Russian economy, which is heavily dependent on resource exports and already in danger of tilting into recession this year. The emergence of new or escalated tensions between Russia and other countries, including any escalation of the crisis in Ukraine, or the imposition of international sanctions in response to these tensions, could negatively affect economies in the region, including the Russian economy, Gazprom said in an annual management report. The state-run firm said its 2013 net profit slipped by 7 per cent to 1.139 trillion rubles ($32.0 billion). It also reported a 20 per cent decline in sales to ex-Soviet states such as Ukraine. However, its fourth-quarter revenues improved by five per cent in annual terms and beat analyst forecasts. Economists said the figures had few implications for the stock of Russias largest company, which would be determined by events in Ukraine and the possibility of Gazprom next month striking a mega-deal with China that has been under discussion for nearly a decade. AFP

SIEMENS EYES ROLLS-ROYCE

OLLS-ROYCE Holdings Group said its in talks to sell power-generation assets to Siemens, adding to a flurry of possible cross-border deals as some of Europes largest engineering firms reshape their portfolios. The planned disposal concerns the energy gas turbine and compressor

business, Rolls-Royce said, confirming the talks with Germanys Siemens. Londonbased Rolls-Royce said negotiations have not concluded, which concern gas turbines derived from plane engines, as well as compressor systems and related services. BLOOMBERG

UK loses EU nance tax appeal

BRITAINS campaign against a proposed European Union tax on financial transactions suffered a blow yesterday, after a the EUs top court ruled its suit against the levy was premature. The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg found Londons opposition to the Financial Transactions Tax (FTT) should not prevent a group of 11 EU member countries from proceeding with plans to implement it. The issue can ... not be examined before the introduction of the FTT, the court ruled. If implemented, the tax would apply to any transaction, anywhere in the world, carried out by a financial entity that is based in one of the EU states which have so far agreed to implement it. The FTT is supported by the group of 11, led by Germany and France, but is staunchly opposed by Britain, home to one of the worlds largest financial markets in London. When the tax was first proposed in 2011 by the European Commission, the EUs executive, Britain led the opposition and it was vetoed. The EU members supporting the tax pressed ahead however, invoking enhanced cooperation, an EU mechanism that allows a group of nine or more countries to move ahead with regulatory measures. The court considers that the two arguments put forward by the United Kingdom are directed at elements of a potential FTT and not at the authorisation to establish enhanced cooperation, the court ruled, concluding that those arguments must be rejected and the action must be dismissed. The European Commission welcomed the ruling, with spokeswoman Emer Traynor saying the Commission had always been confident the decision for enhanced cooperation on the Financial Transaction Tax was legally sound. We hope that todays decision will give added impetus to the 11 member states in their negotiations on the common FTT, she said. AFP

THE PHNOm PENH POST maY 1, 2014

Markets Business

11

Lights out for Rios World Cup?

Isis Almeida and Lucia Kassai

Markets
Thailand
Thai Set 50 Index, Apr 29 1100

Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh Stock Index, Apr 29 700

1025 950 875 800

650 600 550 500

IGUEL Abitbol spent nearly $4,000 on television equipment to show World Cup football matches at his bar and restaurant in Rio de Janeiro. Hes praying there will be enough electricity to power it. The kickoff in June is looming as the nation contends with a drought that reduced the water supply needed for hydro power to near-critical levels. A blackout in February cut electricity to six million people. Petroleo Brasileiro SA, the stateowned energy company, is buying record amounts of liqueed natural gas (LNG) to run gas-red power plants at full capacity and preserve water reserves. Increased competition for the fuel is narrowing the discount of Latin American prices to those in Asia, the costliest, to the lowest since September. Thank God we havent had power outages so far, but if this happens in the middle of a Brazil match, Ill have wasted my money, said Abitbol, 27, who also bought two 120-inch projector screens to show matches from the monthlong event. Im expecting a full house and a big party. Liqueed natural gas prices in South America may surpass those in Asia in the coming months as Brazil accelerates imports and the Southern Hemispheres winter begins, according to Bentek Energy LLC, an industry consultant based in Denver. Latin Americas biggest economy typically meets 70 per cent of power demand from hydroelectric supplies.

Petroleo Brasileiro natural gas storage tanks located in Rio de Janeiros Guanabara Bay. Power shortages are threatening to impact the World Cup in June. BLOOMBERG

Theyre running gas plants at maximum capacity now, buying time for rains to help replenish water reservoirs, said Javier Diaz, an analyst at Bentek. Its a smart move, otherwise it would be a disaster if they suffer with power outages during the World Cup. The football governing body FIFA says that during games the essential areas will run on generators and have backup electricity supply to prevent interruptions. Any use of energy also takes place by means of redundancy, it said in an email. Thus, if theres failure at some point, another system is always ready to replace the original. Brazils grid will be able to cope during the World Cup because the

weather will cool and with it demand, Deputy Energy Minister Marcio Zimmermann said on February 6, and the nations system has enough thermal capacity to complement hydroelectric generation, Brazils Energy Minister Edison Lobao said on April 2, after last months meeting of its electricity sector monitoring committee. Water reservoirs may also get a boost from El Nino, which brings more rain to Brazil, said Celso Oliveira, a meteorologist at Somar Meteorologia in Sao Paulo. While rain in the next several months will be above normal, it probably wont be enough to restore water levels in dams, Oliveira said. Brazil is likely to import and burn as much LNG as possible to avoid

blackouts and power rationing, Bank of America Corp said on March 14. The government will probably keep the gas plants running throughout the year, Tavares said by phone from Porto Alegre, Brazil, on April 23. Levels at water reservoirs inspire concern and in power supply, better safe than sorry. The drought drove spot power prices to records, leading President Dilma Rousseff to announce a 12billion-real ($5.4 billion) aid package for utilities last month. Rousseff is running for re-election in October and it would be politically painful to introduce signicant power rationing before then, Citigroup Inc analysts including Marcelo Britto wrote in a report last month. Utilities are preparing for the peaks in demand that happen around matches, an ofcial at Operador Nacional do Sistema Eletrico said, asking not to be identied. Brazil is expecting 600,000 foreign tourists during the World Cup. The grid operator, based in Rio de Janeiro, has dealt with comparable surges. In 2012, it took measures to prevent a power outage when 80 million people tuned into the nal episode of soap opera Avenida Brasil. Abitbol is not alone in worrying about blackouts. Rodrigo Correia bought seven 32-inch sets for his two Rio de Janeiro restaurants If Brazil makes it to the nal, we will see a good increase in the number of customers, probably 20 per cent more, the 32-year-old Correia said. If we lose the sales for that day, it will be horrible. BLOOMBERG

959.80

578.00

South Korea

KOSPI Index, Apr 29 2100 1975 1850 1725 1600

Philippines

PSEI - Philippine Se Idx, Apr 29 7000 6625 6250 5875 5500

1,961.79

6,707.91

Singapore
FTSE Straits Times Index, Apr 29 4000

Malaysia
FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI, Apr 29 1900

3500 3000 2500 2000

1800 1700 1600 1500

3,264.02

1,871.52

Hong Kong
Hang Seng Index, Apr 29 25000

China
CSI 300 Index, Apr 29 3000

23250 21500 19750 18000

2750 2500 2250 2000

22,133.97

2,158.66

Japan

Nikkei 225, Apr 29 16000

Taiwan

Taiwan Taiex Index, Apr 29 9000

15500 15000 14500 14000

8500 8000 7500 7000

14,304.11

8,791.44

Laos

Laos Composite Index, Apr 29 1500 1350 1200 1050 900

Indonesia

Jakarta Composite Index, Apr 29 5000 4625 4250 3875 3500

1,273.40

4,834.59

International commodities
Energy
COMMODiTY UNiTS PRice CHaNGe % CHaNGe TiMe(ET)

Cambodian commodities
(Base rate taken on January 1, 2012) (%) -0.71 % 3.64 % 2.22 % 1.25 % 4.00 % 5.50 % -40.00 % 1.82 % 7.06 % 3.33 % 15.56 % 0.77 %

India
BSE Sensex 30 Index, Apr 29 23000 22000

Pakistan
Karachi 100 Index, Apr 29 30000 29500 29000 28500 28000

Food -Cereals -Vegetables - Fruits

Item Rice 1 Rice 2 Paddy Peanuts Maize 2 Cashew nut Pepper Beef Pork Mud Fish Chicken Duck Unit
R/Kg R/Kg R/Kg R/Kg R/Kg R/Kg R/Kg R/Kg R/Kg R/Kg R/Kg R/Kg

Construction equipment
Average 2780 2280 1840 8100 2080 4220 24000 33600 18200 12400 20800 13100 Item Steel 12 Cement Unit R/Kg R/Sac Base 3000 19000 Average 3100 19500 (%) 3.33 % 2.63 %

Crude Oil (WTI) Crude Oil (Brent) RBOB Gasoline NYMEX Heating Oil ICE Gasoil

USD/bbl. USD/bbl. USd/gal. USd/gal. USD/MT

94.14 106.59 4.32 263.56 303.81 906.5

-0.23 0.24 -0.01 1.52 1.44 4.25

-0.24% 0.23% -0.25% 0.58% 0.48% 0.47%

2:01:52 2:20:38 2:21:10 2:19:18 2:20:50 2:20:07

Base
2800 2200 1800 8000 2000 4000 40000 33000 17000 12000 18000 13000

21000 20000 19000

NYMEX Natural Gas USD/MMBtu

22,361.65

28,772.64

Energy
Item Gasoline Diesel Petroleum Gas Charcoal Unit
R R R Chi Baht

Base
5250 5100 5500 86000 1200

Average
5450 5200 5500 76000 1300

(%)
3.81 % 1.96 % 0.00 % -11.63 % 8.33 %

Australia
S&P/ASX 200 Index, Apr 29 5500 5250 5000 4750 4500

New Zealand
NZX 50 Index, Apr 29 5500 5250 5000 4750 4500

Agriculture
COMMODiTY UNiTS PRice CHaNGe % CHaNGe TiMe(ET)

CBOT Rough Rice CME Lumber

USD/cwt USD/tbf

15.52 370.5

-0.09 0.7

-0.54% 0.19%

0:29:50 0:38:53

5,489.07

5,232.68

12

THE PHNOM PENH POST mAy 1, 2014

World
Ukraine on alert as rebels gain ground
Richard Carter and Dmitry Zaks

KRAINES armed forces are on full combat alert against a possible Russian invasion, Kiev said yesterday, as pro-Kremlin insurgents tightened their grip on the increasingly chaotic east of the country. Rebels stormed the regional police building and town hall in the eastern Ukrainian city of Gorlivka, local ofcials said, adding to more than a dozen locations already under their control. The new seizure followed clashes in nearby Lugansk late on Tuesday, as hundreds of pro-Russia protesters spearheaded by a heavily armed mob attacked the police station. Yesterday, the rebels lifted their siege of the building after the police chief promised to step down. Ukraines interim president Oleksandr Turchynov told his cabinet the nations armed forces were on full combat alert as fears grew in Kiev that Russia could mount an armed invasion of the former Soviet republic. The threat of Russia starting a war against mainland Ukraine is real, he said. Turchynov urged Ukrainian patriots to bolster the beleaguered police force, which he has criticised for inaction and in some cases treachery. His priority was to prevent terrorism spreading in the restive east of the country, he said. Police are helpless and some of them even help and cooperate with the separatists, he charged. The West has accused Russia of fomenting the crisis and backing the rebels and has imposed sanctions to try to get Moscow to back down.

Armed pro-Russian militians attack the regional police building of the eastern Ukraine city of Lugansk on Tuesday. AFP

The United States and EU members see the insurgency as a bid to destabilise Ukraine ahead of the elections but Moscow denies it has a hand in the rebellion. President Vladimir Putin insisted to reporters late on Tuesday that there were neither Russian instructors, nor special units, nor troops operating in Ukraine. Opening another front in the war of words between Washington and Moscow, Putin warned the sanctions against his country could harm Western interests in Russias lucrative energy sector. The EU said talks with Russia and Ukraine will take place in Warsaw on Friday to try to resolve a $3.5 billion gas bill Gazprom calculates Kiev owes. Putin has threatened to cut off the gas ow to Ukraine if it is not quickly paid. Russian of-

cials have accused the United States of wanting to reinstitute Iron Curtain-style policies and warned the sanctions would boomerang back to hurt it. But the tensions are already having an impact on the Russian economy, which the International Monetary Fund announced yesterday was already experiencing recession. The IMF drastically slashed its 2014 growth forecast for Russia to 0.2 per cent from 1.3 per cent, amid massive capital outows over the Ukraine crisis. US moves to restrict hightech exports to Russia appeared to touch a nerve in Moscow, which warned Washington was exposing their astronauts on the International Space Station to consequences. Moscow has also taken aim at Japan and the Europe-

an Union, which it accused of doing Washingtons bidding for joining in the coordinated sanctions push. But Washington would not let up on Moscow, as relations between them reached a low not seen since the end of the Cold War. Vowing to defend every single inch of NATO territory, US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Moscow to leave Ukraine in peace. Although Ukraine is not a NATO member, several of its neighbours are, and the Pentagon is boosting military support for them as they express concerns over Russias actions. In particular, the US is planning to beef up training exercises planned for June in the Baltic states. In a small chink of light amid what EU foreign policy supremo Catherine Ashton called a downward spiral of violence

and intimidation, there were hopes a team of kidnapped international monitors from the OSCE could soon be freed. The rebel leader in the ashpoint town of Slavyansk said late on Tuesday that there had been good progress in talks to free the seven European ofcials and hoped for a positive outcome. Negotiations are continuing, a rebel spokeswoman told reporters yesterday, adding that there was a more positive atmosphere than before. However, another highranking rebel leader in Slavyansk, Igor Strelkov, said that while he was prepared to free the monitors, he was waiting for contact from Kiev. Putin said he hoped the OSCE teams situation will be resolved and that they are able to freely leave the territory [of Ukraine]. But he laid the blame for the detentions squarely at Kievs door. If the government or those who now call themselves the government invited some sort of observers . . . then these [ofcials] should have understood they were entering a conict zone, a region of the country that does not recognise the authorities legitimacy, he said. They should have thought about that in advance, and agreed [their mission] with the people who control this territory. The crisis in Ukraine has slipped rapidly into a global confrontation since February, when Moscow-backed president Viktor Yanukovych was forced out after months of increasingly bloody protests. In response, Moscow launched a blitz annexation of the peninsula of Crimea, and stepped up troops deployments on the border. AFP

Captain says Sewol warnings ignored

A pRobE into South Koreas ferry disaster has heard that warnings over the ships seaworthiness were ignored, prosecutors said yesterday, as rescuers worked to recover more than 90 people still missing two weeks after it sank. The confirmed death toll from the accident stood at 210, with 92 unaccounted for, the coast guard said, with divers pushing deeper into the submerged vessels interior in their search for bodies. The recovery operation has stalled in recent days because of strong currents and debris blocking access to some of the cabin decks. Prosecutors investigating the disaster on Tuesday questioned the regular captain of the 6,825tonne Sewol, who was on leave when it capsized on April 16 with 476 people on board most of them high school students. Senior prosecutor Yang Jongjin said the captain, identified only as Shin, told investigators that he had warned the shipping company of serious stability problems with the Sewol. The Chonghaejin Marine Co purchased the then-18-yearold ferry from Japan in 2012 and refurbished it, building extra passenger cabins on the third, fourth and fifth decks. Shin said the renovations altered the balance of the ship and undermined its anti-rolling ability. When he advised the company about the problems, his warnings were brushed aside, he told investigators. The precise cause of the accident is still under investigation, but experts have suggested a sharp turn may have caused its cargo to shift, and the ferry to list irretrievably to one side before capsizing. Kim Han-sik, the CEO of Chonghaejin Marine, was summsoned to the prosecutors office on Tuesday in the port city of Incheon, from where the ill-fated ferry departed bound for Jeju island. Kim, 71, issued a tearful apology for the horrible tragedy the day after the accident, saying he and other compa ny of f icia ls were responsible for a grave sin in letting it happen. In Shins absence, the Sewol was skippered by captain Lee Joon-seok, who is now under arrest along with 14 crew members. The coast guard released a video earlier this week showing Lee scrambling to safety as hundreds of his passengers remained trapped inside the ferry. Public disgust at the behaviour of the crew has been matched by the anger of the victims relatives with the official response to the disaster. AFP

Crisis-hit Thailand heads for new elections

ThAIlAND yesterday set new elections for July 20 to try to end a deadly sixmonth political crisis, even as legal challenges threaten to force Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra out of office. The nation, riven by years of political unrest, has been without a properly functioning government since December, causing policy paralysis that has sapped the strength of its once-buoyant economy. Yingluck is pinning her hopes on reelection to shore up her legitimacy following months of mass street protests seeking her resignation to make way for an unelected neutral prime minister to implement anti-corruption reforms. A general election in February was voided after demonstrators disrupted voting. The backdrop is an eight-year struggle between a royalist establishment backed by parts of the judiciary and the military and Yinglucks billionaire family, which has traditionally enjoyed strong support in northern Thailand. Twenty-five people have been killed and hundreds wounded, including many anti-government protesters, in grenade attacks and shootings in recent months. Whether Yinglucks name will be on the ballot on July 20 remains unclear as she faces two legal cases that could within weeks see her suspended from office and banned from politics. The Bangkok Post reported yesterday that the National Anti-Corruption Commission has decided it would make a decision on caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatras alleged dereliction of duty in allowing corruption to take place in the controversial ricepledging scheme on May 8 or May 13. Observers noted that the voting date left plenty of time for the legal proceedings to be wrapped up first. The intention of the EC is not aimed at having an election anyway, said Puangthong Pawakapan, professor of political science at Bangkoks Chulalongkorn University. I think something will happen that will force Yingluck to stop performing her duties before the vote, she said. The opposition Democrat Party, which boycotted the February poll, voiced dismay that the election date had been announced while its leader Abhisit Vejjajiva was seeking support for his own plan to end the deadlock. Its very disappointing that all of a sudden Prime Minister Yingluck fixed the election day while earlier she agreed to meet with Abhisit to find a solution for our country, said party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut. Abhisit has not yet revealed his blueprint for ending the standoff, but he has previously backed the protesters calls for vaguely defined reforms before elections. Yingluck is accused of dereliction of duty linked to a loss-making rice subsidy scheme and of flouting the law through the improper transfer of a senior civil servant. Her opponents say she has presided over rampant corruption and nepotism, and have accused the government of trying to influence the judicial process. But her supporters see the legal moves as an attempted power grab. While re-election would not give Yingluck legal immunity it might make her opponents think twice about risking the anger of her supporters, who plan to stage a major rally on May 6 to coincide with her appearance in court. Election Commission secretarygeneral Puchong Nutrawong said he was confident that the election will be a success thanks to the governments pledge to create a more favourable climate than in February. But some independent observers expect protesters to try to thwart voting again. It is doubtful that elections can come off smoothly this time as there has been no change favouring the antigovernment protest movement, and it is likely to obstruct elections again, said Thailand-based author and scholar David Streckfuss. On the other hand, it is possible that the more times elections are nullified, the more that pro-election groups will galvanise in their demands that elections be respected, he added. AFP

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

World
Politician attacked

13

Man ablaze hugs leader on Indian TV

TELEVISION debate show in northern India ended in horror after a spectator set himself ablaze and embraced a local politician, leaving both men ghting for their lives, police said on Tuesday. The election show on Indias state-owned national TV channel Doordarshan was being prerecorded in a park on Monday in Sultanpur, a town about 160 kilometres from the city of Lucknow. A man, named by police as Durgesh Kumar Singh, emerged from a crowd of about 150 onlookers, doused himself in petrol and then grabbed the local leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Kamruzzama Fauji. Singh sustained burns on 95 per cent of his body that doctors say are likely to be fatal, while Fauji was in critical condition with 75 per cent burns, police said. Two other local politicians taking part in the show, Ram Kumar Singh and Chowdhary Hriday Ram Verma, sustained minor burns trying to save the pair. The injured were rst admitted to the district hospital and were then referred to Lucknow, a police statement said. The motive for the incident was unknown. AFP

BOUT 60 people were killed in Syrias Damascus and Homs on Tuesday, as an international watchdog said it would probe alleged chlorine attacks in the country. Meanwhile, the parliament ary speaker said four new candidates had registered for next months presidential election, expected to return Bashar al-Assad to ofce despite the civil war, which has left vast swathes of the country out of his control. A barrage of mortar shells red by rebels hit a central neighbourhood in the capital early on Tuesday, killing at least 14 people, state media reported. The attack hit a school of Islamic jurisprudence where some students are as young as 14, although it was unclear if children were among the dead. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britainbased monitoring group, put the toll at 17, adding that the gure could rise because several of the injured were in critical condition. Hours later, a car bomb ripped through a crowded area of the countrys third city Homs, followed shortly afterwards by a rocket attack

Syrian chlorine claims to be probed

Chlorine
A toxic chemical with thousands of commercial and domestic uses Chlorine gas (CI2) used as a chemical weapon Colour Yellow-green Smell Pineapple or pepper Exposure symptoms Burning in throat Chest pains Effects Destroys respiratory organs, causes cancer and slow death by asphyxiation Prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention Chlorine used in industry Textiles Paper

Food processing Vinyl (PVC windows, etc) Water treatment Health (pharmaceuticals, disinfectants)

Source: World Chlorine Council, Stanford University, Dow Chemical Company

on the same neighbourhood, the provincial governor Talal Barazi said. He said 45 people were killed in the double attack on the Zahra neighbourhood. The attack was one of the deadliest to hit the central city, where rebels control just a few remaining districts, most of them under a tight government siege. Earlier this month, regime forces launched an attack on rebel areas in the city, where just a few hundred opposition ghters remain after most ci-

vilians were evacuated in a UN-led operation. Meanwhile the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant announced it had executed seven prisoners in its bastion in northeastern Syria, two of them by crucixion. ISIL, disavowed even by alQaeda, said it held the seven responsible for a grenade attack on one of its ghters earlier this month in the Euphrates Valley city of Raqa, which it rules with an iron st. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights posted a pho-

tograph of the two prisoners being crucied at the roundabout with passersby walking past apparently unfazed. In The Hague, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said it would examine allegations that chlorine had been used in attacks in Syria. The regime and rebels have blamed each other for using chlorine in at least one attack, in the rebel-held town of Kafr Zita in Hama province, with the opposition alleging the government has carried out several more. Britains Daily Telegraph said a team of unnamed experts had found sizeable and unambiguous traces of chlorine and ammonia in soil samples taken from the sites of three regime helicopter attacks. It said the ndings proved the government was still using chemical agents against civilians. The OPCW is already in Syria overseeing a deal under which Damascus is to turn over its chemical weapons arsenal by June 30. On Sunday, the joint UNOPCW mission in Damascus said 92.5 per cent of the countrys chemical weapons material had been removed or destroyed. Syria agreed

to dismantle its chemical weapons program last year, after Washington threatened military action in response to a sarin gas attack outside Damascus that killed up to 1,400 people. The regime denied carrying out the attack. In Damascus, parliamentary speaker Mohamed al-Lahham said four more candidates had registered for the June 3 presidential election, bringing the total number, including Assad, to 11. Ali Wanous, Azza al-Hallaq, Talea Salah Nasser and Samih Mikhael Moussa are all relative unknowns. Syrias constitution requires that candidates be Muslim, but a source in the constitutional court conrmed that Moussa is Christian. In the ve days after the candidacy period ends, on May 5, we will examine the candidates to see if they meet all requirements. On May 6, we will announce who has met the conditions, the source said. Hallaqs application brings the number of women competing in the vote to two. The constitution contains no explicit prohibition on female candidates, but its phrasing implies only male candidates are permitted. AFP

14

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

World

US inmate tortured in botched execution

A US death row inmate writhed in agony and mumbled incoherently in a botched execution using untested drugs, before dying on Tuesday of a heart attack 40 minutes into the ordeal, news reports said. The gruesome end to the life of Clayton Lockett, a convicted murderer and rapist, prompted allegations that what he underwent amounted to torture. It also caused the state of Oklahoma, where Lockett died, to postpone the scheduled execution of a second inmate. Lockett was administered a new, untested three-drug protocol in what would have been the states first double execution in 80 years. But Oklahoma Department of Corrections Director Robert Patton ordered the execution of Lockett stopped about four minutes after the start of the injection at 6:23pm (2323 GMT), citing a vein failure, a prisons spokesman said. Lockett died of a massive heart attack at 7:06pm after receiving all three drugs, spokesman Jerry Massie said. Even though he was given the injection, the drugs didnt go into the system. The drugs were a sedative, an anaesthetic and a lethal dose of potassium chloride. Patton immediately ordered a 14-day delay for the execution of Charles Warner, who had been set to be executed two hours after Lockett. AFP

rotEstErs were calling for a millionwoman march in the Nigerian capital yesterday over the governments failure to rescue scores of schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram Islamists two weeks ago. Angry Nigerian parents lashed out at the government on Tuesday as a local leader claimed the hostages had been sold as wives abroad. May God curse every one of those who has failed to free our girls, said Enoch Mark, whose daughter and two nieces were among the more than 100 students abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School in the Chibok area of the northeastern state of Borno. The attack was one of the most shocking in Boko Harams five-year uprising in which thousands of people have been killed. The outrage that followed the mass abduction has been compounded by disputes over how many girls were seized and criticism of the militarys search-and-rescue effort. Borno officials have said 129

Anger grows after girls kidnap P

A damaged classroom at the Government Girls Secondary School in Borno state that gunmen stormed on April 14. AFP

girls were kidnapped when gunmen stormed the school after sundown on April 14 and forced the students who are between 12 and 17 years old on to a convoy of trucks. Officials said 52 had since escaped. Local people including the schools principal have rejected those numbers, insisting 230 students were taken and 187 are still being held hostage. Mark said his wife has hardly slept since the attack, lying awake at night thinking about our daughter.

An organisation called Women for Peace and Justice has called for a million-woman protest march in the capital Abuja yesterday to demand that more resources be committed to securing the girls release. While the group is unlikely to rally a crowd of that size, support for the movement has been growing on Twitter under the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls. Pogo Bitrus, leader of a Chibok elders group, told AFP that locals had been tracking the

movements of the hostages with the help of various sources across the northeast. From the information we received yesterday from Cameroonian border towns our abducted girls were taken . . . into Chad and Cameroon, he said. The girls were then sold as brides to Islamist fighters for 2,000 naira ($12) each, Bitrus said. There was no independent confirmation of his report and the Defence Ministry did not immediately answer calls seeking comment. Some of the girls who escaped have said the hostages were taken to Bornos Sambisa Forest area where Boko Haram has well-fortified camps. Boko Haram translates roughly as western education is forbidden and it has repeatedly attacked schools in an insurgency aimed at creating a strict Islamic state in mainly Muslim northern Nigeria. The Islamists have set schools on fire, massacred students in their sleep and detonated bombs at university campus churches. The Nigerian president,

Goodluck Jonathan, has faced scathing criticism over the attacks and pressure has mounted since the Chibok kidnappings. Local people have scoured the bushlands of the remote region, pooling money to buy fuel for motorcycles and cars to conduct their own rescue effort, saying that they have no confidence in the militarys search. The free movement of the kidnappers in huge convoys with their captives for two weeks without being traced by the military, which claims to be working diligently to free the girls is unbelievable, Bitrus said. Nigeria deployed thousands of additional troops to the northeast last year as part of an offensive aimed at crushing Boko Haram but security experts say the military lacks the troops needed to fully cover the region. In a motion on Tuesday the senate urged the government and security agencies to seek the cooperation of other countries and the UN security council in the rescue effort. AFP

Berlusconi to work with Alzheimers patients

Knox killed to show power over Kercher: court

AMAnDA Knox and her Italian lover slayed British student Meredith Kercher after an argument spiralled out of control, an Italian court said on Tuesday. US citizen Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito originally sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison for killing Kercher were acquitted on appeal in 2011 after four years behind bars, but then found guilty again in a shock about-turn by a Florence court in January. Explaining its decision on Tuesday, the court said in its reasoning that there was DNA proof that three people were at the murder scene: Knox, Sollecito and a third person, Ivory Coast-born drifter Rudy Guede, who is the only person still in prison for the crime. Kercher, who lived with Knox, was frequently irritated by her behaviour and when her Seattle-born housemate invited Guede into the apartment that night the situation escalated, the court said in the 337-page explanation, according to Italian media reports. Knox disputed the courts findings, issuing a statement that said: I was found innocent by the only court in Italy that retained independent forensic experts to review my case. The newly released court document does not and cannot change the fact of my innocence, she added. Guede behaved impolitely and an annoyed Kercher interrupted an intimate moment between Knox and Sollecito to complain, it said. The cohabitation had reached such a level of exasperation that the argument quickly escalated, with Guede, Knox and Sollecito collaborating to immobilise Meredith and use violence against her, it added. Guede whose DNA was found inside Kerchers body was driven by sexual instinct, while Knox and Sollecito wanted to prove their power over Meredith and humiliate her, stabbing her with two knives. The larger of the two knives, which produced the wound on the left part of the neck and from which spurted most of the blood that caused Meredith Kerchers death, was held by Amanda Knox, it said. The other was wielded by Sollecito, who cut through Kerchers bra strap, inadvertently planting the only piece of DNA evidence which links him to the scene, it added. Investigators have long insisted that 47 knife wounds on Kercher and the apparent use of two different knives in the attack pointed to more than one killer. Kercher was found in a pool of blood in November 2007, half-naked and with her throat slashed in her bedroom at the house in the university town of Perugia that she shared with Knox. Prosecutors had alleged Kercher was killed in a drug-fuelled sex attack, claiming Knox delivered the final blows while Sollecito and Guede held the victim down. But the Florence court ruled that out, saying Kercher was not the type of girl to have engaged in such antics. The trial will now go back to Italys highest court, which could uphold or overturn the verdict. If it upholds it, officials are expected to begin the lengthy process to extradite Knox from the US, where she returned on her release from prison in 2011. AFP

ItalYs Silvio Berlusconi will begin community service on May 9 and work with Alzheimers patients, the director of the centre where he will serve his tax fraud punishment said yesterday. Paolo Pigni, head of the Catholic-run Fondazione Sacra Famiglia near Milan, told a press conference the former prime minister will arrive on May 9 and work in the part of the centre dedicated to caring for people with dementia and Alzheimers disease. The media magnate who has been ordered to work at the centre for disabled and elderly people one day a week for at least four hours will help out with a morning program including motor activities, reading, writing and games, Pigni said. AFP

15 dead as Philippines battles Islamic militants

MH370 hunt scaled down

THE intensive aerial search for surface wreckage from Flight MH370 ofcially ended yesterday as the hunt was drastically scaled back with ships also moving out of the remote Indian Ocean area where the plane is believed to have gone down. Australian authorities said the focus would transition over the coming weeks to a more intensied undersea search in the quest to nd out what happened to the Malaysia Airlines ight with 239 people aboard that disappeared on March 8. Eight nations have been involved in the unprecedented hunt Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, the United States, Britain and China with more than 300 sorties own across a vast expanse of remote ocean looking for debris. But with nothing to show for their efforts from scanning more than 4.5 million square kilometres from the air since March 18, the planes have been stood down. Most of the aircraft will have left by the end of today, a spokesman for the Australian-led Joint Agency Coordination Centre said, although an Australian P-3 Orion would remain on standby in Perth. The US, Japan, New Zealand and Malaysia all conrmed that their aircraft were returning to base. There was no immediate word yesterday from China, which accounted for most of the passengers. As many as 14 ships from Australia, China and Britain were also involved in scanning the ocean surface for debris or black box signals but many of these are also pulling out. Some need to head back to port and refuel and give the crew a rest, others will go back to doing what they were doing for their respective nations before they joined the search, the spokesman said. In essence, the surface search has been scaled back. We will keep a few vessels out there and others on standby, but the large-scale air and sea search has ended. The US Navy submersible Bluen-21 has been scouring a 314-square-kilometre zone centred around one of the transmissions believed to have come from the planes black box ight recorders before their batteries died. But it too has failed to nd anything with poor weather hampering efforts on Wednesday. Abbott said an area of up to 56,000 square kilometres of the ocean oor would be scoured in the new search with the Bluen remaining in operation along with other technology, possibly a specialised side-scan sonar. AFP

Sultan pushes ahead with tough sharia code

THE sultan of oil-rich Brunei announced that tough Islamic criminal punishments would be introduced today, pushing ahead with plans that have sparked rare domestic criticism of the fabulously wealthy ruler and international condemnation. With faith and gratitude to Allah the almighty, I declare that tomorrow, Thursday, May 1, 2014, will see the enforcement of sharia phase one, to be followed by the other phases, the absolute monarch said in a royal decree yesterday. Plans for the sharia penalties which will eventually include ogging, severing of limbs and death by stoning triggered condemnation on social media sites in the tiny, sleepy sultanate earlier this year. Confusion has swirled around implementation following the unexplained postponement of an expected April 22 start date that raised questions over whether the Muslim monarch was hesitating. But 67-year-old Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah one of the worlds wealthiest men forged ahead, dismissing theories that the penal code was unjust. Theory states that Allahs law is cruel and unfair but Allah himself has said that his law is indeed fair, the sultan, dressed in traditional Malay garb, said in delivering the decree at Bruneis convention centre. The monarchs wealth estimated three years ago at $20 billion by Forbes magazine has become legendary with reports of a vast collection of luxury vehicles and huge, gold-bedecked palaces. AFP

THe Philippine military said yesterday that it had launched an air and ground assault against Islamic militants wanted for a spate of kidnappings, with 14 militants and one soldier killed in the clashes. The fighting began on Tuesday after marines overran a camp of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group on the heavily forested island of Jolo, military spokespeople said. We have employed air support using MG-520 helicopters and (artillery) shelling, which resulted in large casualties on their side, said a spokesman for the marine unit engaged in the battle. Fourteen Abu Sayyaf members and one marine died on Tuesday, and clashes continued into yesterday, national military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala said in Manila. AFP

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

World
Gun mettle
A convention-goer wears a gun slogan T-shirt at the143rd NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, last week. Political donations to groups supporting gun control have overtaken money raised by the National Rie Association and its allies in the 16 months since the Newtown school shooting, according to latest lings with the Federal Election Commission. The hopes of gun-control advocates to overturn the long-held nancial dominance of the gun lobby received a boost earlier last month when former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg pledged to spend at least $50 million over the coming year supporting campaigns for gun control measures. Yet the NRA has long dismissed Bloomberg as an east coast billionaire lacking popular support. Now, however, FEC gures show that other groups, such as the one run by former congresswoman Gabby Giffords in Arizona, are out-raising the NRA through funding committees set up to gather small donations too. THE GUARDIAN/AFP

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N Korean paper slams human rights in South

NortH Korea has announced the publication of a white paper criticising the humanrights situation in South Korea, condemning the Park Geun-hye administration as puppets under the rule of an American colony. In a piece published by the ofcial newspaper Rodong Sinmun on April 30, titled Denounce the South Chosun Human Rights Situation the Worst in the World, it was written: The South says it has a government and law, but they are nothing more than puppets. They are merely a tool used by the Americans in their colonial rule. The people of South Chosun are deprived of everything thanks to America. When human rights are infringed upon there is not even a place you can go to complain. Democratic rights and political freedoms are mercilessly infringed upon, the piece continued, referring to South Koreas practice of deleting proNorth comments made online and the arrest of leftist lawmaker Lee Seok-ki on charges of plotting a rebellion. Specic instances were listed to show the severe suppression of peoples rights, including examples of unemployment, suicide and the shutdown of civilian protests. Over 60 per cent of university students cannot afford their school fees so must work [to make ends meet]. Some even have to subject their bodies to medical trials. Human rights organisations providing assistance to North Koreans wishing to defect were similarly accused of receiving assistance funds from the puppet authorities and habitually engaging in acts of kidnapping. The statement comes as international interest grows in the Norths human rights situation in the wake of the recent report by the UN inquiry detailing evidence of systemic and widespread human rights violations perpetrated by the regime. THE GUARDIAN

Risk of nuclear accidents is rising: report

rEPort recounting a litany of near-misses in which nuclear weapons came close to being launched by mistake concludes that the risk of potentially catastrophic accidents is higher than previously thought and appears to be rising. Too Close for Comfort: Cases of Near Nuclear Use and Options for Policy, published by think tank Chatham House, says that individual decision-making, often in disobedience of protocol and political guidance, has on several occasions saved the day, preventing the launch of nuclear warheads. The report lists 13 instances since 1962 when nuclear weapons were nearly used. In several cases a largescale launch was nearly triggered by technical malfunctions or breakdowns in communication causing false alarms, in both the US and Russia. Disaster was averted only by cool-headed individuals gambling that the alert was caused by a glitch and not an actual attack.

The Chatham House authors say the risks appear to be rising. Nuclear weapons are spreading most recently to North Korea and disarmament is stalling. Russia and the US still have an estimated 1,800 warheads on high alert, ready to launch between ve and 15 minutes after receiving the launch order a fact that is all the more signicant with rising tensions over Ukraine. The question today is: are these risks worth it? said Patricia Lewis, Chatham House research director for international security and one of the reports authors. You can imagine a situation in which tensions rise and signals come in and people misinterpret what is going on. Will people always have sound minds to take the time to make a reasoned decision? The mental state of some of the leaders who had their ngers on the nuclear button has sometimes been a source of worry. Richard Nixon and Boris Yeltsin both raised concerns among their top advisers with their heavy drinking.

Mondays report focuses on cases in which nuclear weapons came close to being launched deliberately on the basis of bad or incomplete information. However, there is an additional risk of accidents inherent in the maintenance of stockpiles of more than 17,000 warheads held by Russia, the US and the other seven nuclear-armed states. Some of those accidents were described in a book published last year, titled Command and Control. Author Eric Schlosser gives an account of an incident in September 1980 in Arkansas, in which a maintenance engineer dropped a socket wrench into a silo holding a Titan II nuclear missile, igniting its fuel and triggering an explosion which sent the warhead flying. It landed near a road but did not detonate. In an earlier accident in January 1961, a B-52 bomber broke up over North Carolina, dropping its two nuclear bombs over the town of Goldsboro. One of the bombs acti-

vated, engaging its trigger mechanism. A single low-voltage switch was all that stood between the eastern US and catastrophe. Whoops apocalypse These are some of the incidents that illustrate how close the world has come to accidental nuclear apocalypse: Washington, June 1980 A faulty computer chip triggered a nuclear attack warning on the US, giving the impression that more than 2,000 Soviet missiles were on the way. Cuba, October 1962 Four nucleararmed Soviet submarines were deployed in the Sargasso Sea at the height of the Cuban missile crisis. US warships had warned Moscow that they would be practising dropping depth charges, but the message did not reach the submarines. With his communications cut off and believing himself under attack, one commander ordered a launch of nuclear warheads, declaring: Were going to blast them now. He was

persuaded to desist by his secondin-command. Soviet Union, September 1983 Shortly after midnight on September 25 an alert sounded at a Soviet satellite early warning station. The data suggested ve ballistic missiles were heading towards the country. Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Yevgrafovich deed protocol by not reporting the incident to his superior, gambling it was a false alarm. It turned out that sunlight glinting off US territory had confused the satellite. Russia, January 1995 On January 25, Norwegian scientists launched a Black Brant rocket to study the aurora borealis over the Svalbard region. They warned Moscow, but the message never reached the radar operators at the Russian early warning stations, who mistook the rocket for an incoming Trident submarinelaunched missile. President Boris Yeltsin was discussing his decision with his top military commander when the rocket fell wide of Soviet territory. THE GUARDIAN

Spanish island to be fully powered by wind and water

THE smallest and least known of Spains Canary Islands, El Hierro, is making a splash by becoming the first island in the world fully energy selfsufficient through combined water and wind power. A wind farm opening at the end of June will turn into electricity the gusts that rake the steep cliffs and green mountains of the volcanic island off the Atlantic coast of Africa. Its five turbines installed at the northeastern tip of El Hierro near the capital Valverde will have a total output of 11.5 megawatts more than enough power to meet the demand of the islands roughly 10,000 residents and its energy-hungry water desalination plants. Although other islands around the world are powered by solar or wind energy, experts say El Hierro is the first to secure a constant supply of electricity by combining wind and water power and with no connection to any outside electricity network. Surplus power from the wind turbines will be used to pump fresh water from a reservoir near the harbour to a larger one at volcanic crater located about 700 metres above sea level. When there is little or no wind, the water will be channelled down to the lower reservoir through turbines to generate electricity in turn. This system guarantees us a supply of electricity, said the director of the Gorona del Viento wind power plant, Juan Manuel Quintero who is supervising final tests before the plant starts functioning in a few weeks. The plant will account for 50 per cent of the islands electricity demand when it is inaugurated at the end of June, a figure that will rise to 100 per cent over the following months. The scheme will cut carbon dioxide emissions by 18,700 tonnes per year and eliminate the islands annual consumption of 40,000 barrels of oil. El Hierro will maintain its fuel oil power station as a back up, just in case. The island is cited as a pioneering project by IRENA, the international organisation for renewable energy, and other experts such as Alain Gioda, a climate historian at France IRD science research institute. The true novelty is that technicians have managed, without being connected to any national network, to guarantee a stable production of electricity that comes 100 per cent from renewable energy, overcoming the intermittent nature of the wind, he said. El Hierros wind power plant has sparked interest from other islands seeking to follow its example. Officials from Aruba, Hawaii, Samso in Denmark, Oki in Japan, and Indonesia have all shown interest. It is a project which is considered at the world level as a pioneer and it is one of the most important in the production of renewable energy, said the president of islands local council, Alpidio Armas. El Hierro can be a sort of laboratory, he added, providing an example to other islands around the world that are home to around 600 million people. El Hierro, the westernmost of Spains Canary Islands, has also been invited to present its project at several international conferences, including in Malta and South Korea. El Hierro wants to extend its environmental credentials even further by ensuring that by 2020 all of its 6,000 vehicles are run on electricity thanks to an agreement with the Renault-Nissan alliance. The wind power plant cost 80 million ($110 million) to build. The island authorities own 60 per cent of the plant, with 30 per cent held by Spanish energy company Endesa a subsidiary of Italian group Enel and 10 per cent by a local technology institute. We wanted to be the owners of the majority of the plant. That means that the profits as well as the possible losses, that is the destiny of Gorona del Viento, is the responsibility of the residents of the island, Armas said. Revenues from the plant will boost the islands budget by about one to three million euros per year, he said. These are revenues that can go to the local residents, to subsidise water prices, infrastructure, social policies, he said. AFP

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THE PHNoM PENH PoST MAY 1, 2014

Opinion
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EDITORIAL PERSONNEL Publisher Chris Dawe Editor-in-Chief Chad Williams Editor-in-Chief Weekend Post Alan Parkhouse Editor-in-Chief Post Khmer Kay Kimsong Managing Editor Post Khmer Sam Rith Chief of Staff Cheang Sokha Deputy Chief of Staff Chhay Channyda National News Editor Shane Worrell National Assignment Editor Joe Freeman Digital Media Director David Boyle Deputy News Editor Vong Sokheng Business Editor Post Khmer May Kunmakara Property Editor Pisei Hin Foreign News Editor Joe Curtin Sports Editor Dan Riley Picture Editor Scott Howes Lifestyle and 7Days Editor Poppy McPherson Deputy Head of Lifestyle Desk Pan Simala Chief Sub-editor Michael Philips Sub-editors Laignee Barron, Daniel de Carteret, Alice Cuddy, Will Jackson, Eddie Morton, Bennett Murray, Kevin Ponniah, Daniel Pye, Shane Rothery, Sean Teehan, Sam Wheeler, Stuart White, Emily Wight, Amelia Woodside Reporters Khouth Sophak Chakrya, Sen David, Hor Kimsay, Buth Reaksmey Kongkea, Mom Kunthear, Khoun Leakhana, Lieng Sarith, Kim Sarom, Phak Seangly, Meas Sokchea, Chhim Sreyneang, May Titthara Photographers Heng Chivoan, Pha Lina, Hong Menea, Sreng Meng Srun, Vireak Mai Web Editor Leang Phannara Webmasters Uong Ratana, Horng Pengly SIEM REAP BUREAU

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ESPITE tens of thousands of students graduating each year, Cambodia still faces a lack of skilled workers, especially in industrial and manufacturing sectors. There is little doubt that this problem will negatively affect the countrys future economic development. Echoing this concern, Prime Minister Hun Sen stressed the need to build a quality and competent workforce ahead of the ASEAN Economic Communitys launch at the end of 2015. Recently, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport has taken important steps to address the skills shortage, such as by putting a cap on the issuance of licences to new universities in an attempt to strengthen the quality of higher education. According to Yok Ngov, secretary of state at the ministry, this restriction will only be applied to universities focusing on social studies; promoting science, technology and engineering skills will remain the ministrys top priority. In addition, the ministry has also been looking at a range of policies to improve the quality of professors,

streamline the curriculum and increase teacher-student ratios, among other things. Achieving all these goals may be challenging, but with the right policies and a strong commitment, the government will definitely be able to reform the education system to meet the needs of the labour market. Despite these positive initiatives, the lack of incentives for Cambodias universities and students is yet to be sufficiently discussed. Offering science and technology courses is very expensive, and many universities cannot afford to do so. Only a handful of universities manage to teach related skills, generally with some kind of financial support or technical assistance from the government, partner universities overseas, foreign countries or private individuals. However, such funding is very volatile and cannot provide a long-term solution to resource scarcity in the education system. One way to solve this problem is by having the government play an active role in providing universities with resources, such as funding for research, lab equipment and capacity-building for academic staff. Because these resources are very limited, the government should allo-

cate them on a competitive basis. Therefore, there must be clear assessment guidelines and policies for the Education Ministry to determine whether a university qualifies for funding and other support measures. The criteria might include a universitys academic standing, research achievements, positive social impact and contribution to skills development. Of course, the government cannot support these universities indefinitely. The private sector has an important role to play here because it also greatly benefits from Cambodia having a large pool of skilled workers. Thus, what the government should do is create enough incentives to attract the private sector to take part in solving the skills shortage. For instance, the government can create friendly policies that encourage both foreign and local companies to substantially contribute to the teaching of skills that are vital but not widely enough known. Moreover, the government can also help increase cooperation between universities and private companies in joint research programs or develop skills that will match the companies needs. More importantly, the government must work closely with foreign part-

ners, especially advanced industrialised nations, to facilitate technology transfers and the exchange of ideas. Another major concern is the lack of interest of many students in science and technology. Cambodia is not an exception here many countries face the same problem. The government should create incentives to encourage students to learn these skills in these fields. There are several ways of going about this, such as providing more full and partial scholarships, increasing work placements, creating more jobs, raising public awareness and inspiring students by showing them how scientific discoveries substantially change the way people live. Cambodia really needs a future generation that is passionate and skilled in science, technology and engineering in order to compete with the rest of the world and grow the national economy. The skills shortage problem presents a unique opportunity for the government to take a bold decision to rigorously reform the education system and improve the living conditions of millions of people.
Phoak Kung is the vice president for academic affairs at Mengly J Quach University

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THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

17

Lifestyle
HE original Star Wars movie blasted its way onto screens a long time ago, in a cinema galaxy seemingly far, far away but Han, Luke and Leia will be back soon. On Tuesday, Disney announced the cast of the lm just entering production under the name Star Wars: Episode VII, after months of frenzied speculation among the sci- sagas passionate fans. At 71, Harrison Ford may no longer have space smuggler Han Solos roguish good looks and thick head of hair. And 62-year-old co-star Mark Hamill will ll out Luke Skywalkers owing Jedi robes a little more thoroughly than he once did. But fans of the saga many of them disappointed by a series of prequels to the threedecade-old original trilogy will welcome their return and that of 57-year-old Carrie Fishers feisty Princess Leia. Disney, the new owner of director George Lucass record-breaking franchise, has recruited blockbuster director JJ Abrams to bring these fan favourites back. His trio of stars may have aged, but he will have access to a more powerful array of computerised special effects than Lucas had when he launched the series in 1977. And the original cast, including Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker as androids

Han, Luke and Leia to join fresh faces in new Star Wars T
William Davies

In brief
David Threlfall to star as Noah in BBCs The Ark
HOT on the heels of Darron Aronofksys recent film, Noah, the BBC has confirmed a dramatic retelling of the biblical tale in one-off film, The Ark. The TV drama, which has started filming in Morocco, will star Shameless actor David Threlfall, who recently won acclaim for his portrayal of Tommy Cooper in the ITV biopic Not Like That, Like This. He will be joined by Joanne Whalley (The Borgias, Jamaica Inn) as his wife, Emmie, and stars including Ashley Walters (Top Boy) and Nico Mirallegro (The Village). Written by Hustle and Life on Mars creator Tony Jordan, the retelling will work on the premise that Noah, a farmer and family man, is instructed by an angel to build an ark in the middle of a desert. In an announcement, Threlfall said: The story jumped off the page at me from the first reading. Its not just a family saga but the first family saga and it takes inspirations from many faiths and speaks of values which should be shared across all cultures. the
GUaRdian

These recent le photos show, top row from left, actors Andy Serkis, Adam Driver and John Boyega; and, bottom row from left Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson and Max von Sydow. afP

C3PO and R2-D2 and Peter Mayhew as the hairy Wookie warrior Chewbacca, will be joined by new, mainly younger talent. Andy Serkis, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson, plus Hollywood vet-

eran Max von Sydow join the Star Wars team. Serkis is well known but not perhaps recognisable, as his biggest roles have been as the voice and movements behind animated characters like the villainous Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.

Cast members appeared in a photo of a script reading, alongside Abrams and R2D2, the loyal robot mechanic that has accompanied the heroes through all six movies to date. It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the be-

loved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again, Abrams said. Abrams is a respected director who has already won plaudits for reviving a beloved space opera franchise, taking the captains chair on the successful 2009 Star Trek reboot. But Star Wars is a bigger challenge. The two previous trilogies were released between 19772005 and inspired spinoff books, comics, toys, videogames and cartoons. But, while the stories still have a massive popular audience, purists were disappointed by the prequel trilogy, which they felt failed to capture the mythic feel of the originals. Filming on Episode VII will begin next month at Londons Pinewood Studios. Reports in local media in Abu Dhabi have suggested that some sets have also been constructed in the Arabian desert. Scriptwriter Lawrence Kasdan returns, having previously written the second and third lms The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Music will once again come from Oscar-winning composer John Williams, whose epic score one of the most recognisable in cinema soars over the iconic opening narrative crawl of each lm. The new Star Wars movie is due for worldwide release on December 18, 2015. afP

Denmarks Noma named worlds best restaurant

DenMArks Noma restaurant has reclaimed the title of worlds best restaurant, becoming a four-time winner having lost the title last year to Spains El Celler de Can Roca. The two-Michelin star restaurant in Copenhagen, which serves Nordic specialities in a quayside warehouse, topped the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants list compiled by 900 international experts for Britains Restaurant magazine. The restaurants head chef Rene Redzepi paid tribute to his staff, calling them his inspiration, as he collected the prize. I know Im not always the easiest person to be around, he told guests at Londons Guildhall. I want to tell you in front of everyone, you guys are my dream team and inspiration. The patience and dedication that you give year in and year out is more than I could have ever hoped for. We were the geeks, they gave us funny names. But that didnt bother us, it fuelled us and look where we are now several years later! Despite winning the award for the fourth time, the chef insisted there was more to come. Were not at the finish line, he said. There are still so many discoveries out there, so many recipes to be written. There were murmurs in the audience when El Celler de Can Roca was named only at number two, losing the crown it seized from Noma last year. The restaurant in Girona, run by three brothers and known for its dishes based on perfumes, had previously spent two years as runner-up. The brothers spoke before the ceremony, revealing that last years victory had sparked a fresh wave of creativity. Its been a magical year, full of projects, emotion, sharing and dreams becoming reality, eldest brother Joan Roca told a press conference. Consolation for the culinary siblings came when Jordi was named Best Pastry Chef in the World. The restaurant, which gets its name from two Danish words nordisk (Nordic) and mad (food), serves up local fare such as moss, sea urchins and oysters, and is celebrated for its Hen and Eggs dish quail eggs which are pickled and smoked. Last month, Noma announced plans to relocate to Japan for two months in 2015. afP

Five days of fun began in Bangkok yesterday afternoon as the Thailand Toy Expo 2014 kicked off with a mascot parade at CentralWorld. Back for its second year, the toy expo is said to be bigger than ever, with toy companies from around the world bringing models and prototypes of toys and dolls. Visitors will get to marvel at a myriad of toy collectibles and exclusive items from 50 leading brands, including cuddly toys from the popular Line application. Highlights include the world premiere showcase of the Captain America figure from Hot Toys, plus toys from American TV series The Walking Dead and Game Of Thrones. The expo runs through Sunday. banGKoK Post

Thailand Toy Expo 2014 kicks off in Bangkok

Ferguson to leave Late Late Show in December

A woman enter the Noma restaurant in Copenhagen. The two-Michelin star restaurant topped Britains Restaurants best restaurant list for 2014. afP

The late-night TV shuffle in the US continues: After 10 years at the helm of his 12:30am latenight show, Craig Ferguson will step down from The Late Late Show in December. Ferguson told his studio audience the news on Monday afternoon, and a few hours later, CBS sent out the announcement confirming it. During his 10 years as host, Craig has elevated CBS to new creative and competitive heights at 12:30, said the networks entertainment chairman, Nina Tassler. He infused the broadcast with tremendous energy, unique comedy, insightful interviews and some of the most heartfelt monologues seen on television. the
washinGton Post

18

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

Motoring

Jaguar brings in muscle with F-Type R

Jason H Harper

EMPERANCE, subtlety and understatement shall not be cross-indexed with the Tata Motors Ltd-owned brand these days. Look instead to bombast, muscle and turn it to 11, baby. Take that rm upper lip and pull it over your head, as the new Jaguar F-Type R Coupe has no interest in keeping calm. Its 550horsepower soul is dedicated to shock and awe. Theres a whiff of privateschool breeding to be found on details like the stitching and ne leather seats, yet mostly the F-Type is a two-door muscle car, as much a hooligan as a Shelby Mustang. The F-Type Coupe is the new blueprint of a vigorous, frame-rattling Jaguar, which abandons British reticence for an international sense of Im coming through! The price for the R model starts at about $100,000. The car has a 5-litre supercharged V-8 with the 550 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque. The $77,000 F-Type S Coupe has a three-litre supercharged V-6 with 380 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. Both are deliciously loud and fast. People with the disposable income for a plaything like the F-Type are generally thought to go for convertibles rather than coupes. Globally, coupes are often preferred over roadsters. The convertible is handsome. Its also a bucketful of fun, handling ably on both road and racetrack. My personal expectations for the coupe were that it would be more beautiful than the drop-top and handle even better. After all, a roof gives the opportunity for more structural rigidity. It does handle better, especially at the limit. Big, sticky tyres ensure plenty of traction, and the car is stiffer than an anvil. This makes it worthy of a racetrack, especially when out-

The Jaguar F-Type R is displayed on November 20, 2013 during media previews at the Los Angeles Auto Show, United States.

AFP

tted with superlative carbonceramic brakes. All that potency can overwhelm the chassis though, especially on regular roads with, you know, speed limits and all. The R model may sound like the thing, but the V-6 S model is the more balanced machine. The downside of huge tyres and the little give to the suspension is a rough ride. Every imperfection of the road transmits into the cabin. Its noisy and often uncomfortable. The design left me under-

whelmed. This is a matter of taste, of course, but where I expected sexily curved fenders and svelte contours, I found instead an exaggerated hood and braggadocio bulges. The skin is puffed out to the point of seeming overstuffed, without a hint of give or elasticity. The standard 20-inch (51-centimetre) wheels on the R are so big as to be cartoonish. This is a muscleman forced into a too-small T-shirt rather than a sprinter in a Savile Row suit. And if the package looks big-

ger and wider than expected, the cockpit is more cramped. Its identical to the convertible except that the xed roof skims over your head. Sadly, there is a solid partition behind the seats, which means no access to the rear hatch. If youve got an umbrella you want to chuck into the space, youll have to exit the car and open the hatch. Seeing as its already an impractical car, one wishes Jaguar had spent a little extra time and money for a better solution.

While the seats look great, they proved iron-lung uncomfortable to my 1.8-metre frame, with an unlikely cant forward just at the point where my back and neck meet. Would you, then, be spending $100,000 for only tight quarters and a voluminous hood? Well, no. Muscle cars are fun, perhaps especially so when they come under the guise of a sophisticated European brand. Imagine yourself on a two-lane road with a slow-moving car ahead. The centre divider al-

lows for a short passing zone. You signal your intention to pass and then . . . Cue the John Williams soundtrack: cymbals crashing, horns swelling, bows sweeping over violins. This is the F-Type Rs raison detre, the reason it has forsaken plummy sotto tones for a rebel yell. You pass the other car in a hot second, a vortex of hot exhaust, expressive sound and aluminium shearing through air. The Jag lays on straight-line speed like a ballistic missile. BLOOMBERG

Apple seeking to prevent dangers of phone use in cars

Samuel Gibbs

Apple is looking at ways to disable certain functions on its iPhone models while people are at the wheel in an attempt to address the problem of phoning or texting while driving, which can be fatally dangerous. BLOOMBERG

A NEW technology that has been proposed by Apple would seek to address the dangerous and ubiquitous problem of drivers who use their phone behind the wheel, according to experts. A new patent by the technology giant could change the culture and help stop driver distraction with an automated system that would disable certain smartphone functions when an iPhone user is driving their vehicle. One recently published patent describes a driver handheld computing device lockout system that detects when a user is driving using on-board sensors or pulling information from the car when connected, blocking the use of text messaging or using other smartphone functions from the person driving. As a market leader, Apple could have the power to change the culture behind texting and driving, if it works and is intuitive; that would be a very good step, said Paul Watters, head of motoring policy for the AA. What we find in our research is that theres an addiction here, to texting and using smartphones, its an addiction

that is very hard to break even when in the car it will take some system to help people break that addiction. Texting while driving is a hot-button issue that has been labelled as a widespread menace by Brake, the road safety charity, which has been shown to slow driver reaction times by 35 per cent and increase the likelihood of a crash 23-fold for commercial drivers. Three in 10 of drivers admit to sending or reading messages while driving, according to research by Brake and insurance company Direct Line. That number increases to more than four in 10 for drivers aged 18 to 24, while one in eight drivers admitted to using smartphone apps while behind the wheel. Attempts to disable smartphones or limit their distracting features of phones have been made in the past. Several developers have released apps that prevent drivers from texting behind the wheel for Android, but it has not been possible for the iPhone due to Apples restrictions on apps and system control. Technology has a role to play, but there is no single solution to the problem of distracted driving, said Ellie Pearson from Brake. THE GUARDIAN

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

Travel
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHEDULE
FROM PHNOM PENH
Flighs K6 720 PG 938 PG 932 TG 581 PG 934 FD 3617 PG 936 TG 585 CZ 324 QR 965 QR 967 CZ 324 CZ 6060 VN 840 QR 965 QR 967 VN 841 VN 3856 KA 207 KA 207 KA 209 KA 209 KA 205 KE 690 OZ 740 AK 1473 MH 755 MH 763 AF 273 FM 833 MI 601 MI 622 3K 594 3K 594 MI 607 2817 2817 2817 2817 BR 266 VN 840 QV 920
8M 402 8M 401

19

SIEM REAP - MANILA 5J 258

Arrival 03:30 09:05 09:05 14:40 16:20 18:40 19:40 21:50 20:50 14:30 20:50 13:45 20:50 13:00 14:30 20:50 16:30 18:45 10:25 16:05 17:00 17:25 22:20 22:50 16:00 10:20 4:10 06:05 22:40 08:40 11:25 14:40 17:15 15:50 08:10 14:00 12:30 11:35 13:00 13:15 10:45
Qatar Airways No. 296 Blvd. Mao Tse Toung (St. 245), Ground oor, Intercontinental Hotel PP Tel: +23 42 40 12/13/14 www.qatarairways.com Cambodia Angkor Air (K6) PP Ofce, #90+92+94Eo, St.217, Sk.Orussey4, Kh. 7Makara, 023 881 178 /77718-333. Fax:+855 23-886-677 www.cambodiaangkorair.com E: mai@royalaviationexpert.com

MANILA - SIEM REAP 22:30 16:35 10:40 12:25 12:45 18:30 18:35
15:35 15:35

TO PHNOM PENH
Arrival 01:10 08:15 11:10 11:10 16:40 18:15 20:40 21:45 16:05 22:45
05:20+1

2.4.7 1, 6, 7 2.4 5 7 3, 2 5
.2....7 ...4...

02:11 22:15 15:20 15:40 16:05 21:35 21:55

18:40 18:30

5J 257 MI 633 MI 622 MI 616 MI 636 MI 630 MI 618

3K 597 3K 597

2.4.7 1, 6, 7 2.4 7 3, 2 5 5
.2....7 ...4...

19:45 14:35 08:40 10:40 13:55 07:55 16:35

13:45 13:45

21:30 15:45 09:50 11:50 17:40 11:35 17:45

14:50 14:50

SIEM REAP - SINGAPORE MI 633 MI 622 MI 630 MI 615 MI 636 MI 617

3K 598 3K 598

SINGAPORE - SIEM REAP

Days Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily ..34..7 12...6. Daily 2.4.7 Daily ..34..7 12...6. Daily Daily 1.2.4.7 6 1 3.5.7 2 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 2 2.3.4.5.7 1.3.5.6.7 2.4 1234..7 ....56. Daily 1.3 2.4.5 6 7 Daily Daily Daily 1.3.6 1.3.6

Dep 12:05 06:40 09:55 10:05 15:30 17:05 19:30 20:40 08:00 16:10 22:40 08:00 14:45 17:30 16:10 22:40 14:00 19:20 11:25 11:45 18:30 17:25 19:00 23:40 23:50 08:35 11:10 17:10 20:05 19:50

Flighs K6 721 PG 931 TG 580 PG 933 FD 3616 PG 935 TG 584 PG 937 CZ 323 QR 964 QR 966 CZ 6059 CZ 323 VN 841 QR 604 QR 966 VN 920 VN 3857 KA 208 KA 206 KA 206 KA 206 KE 689 OZ 739 AK 1474 MH 754 MH 762 AF 273 FM 833 MI 602 MI 622 3K 593 MI 608 2816 2816 2816 2816 BR 265 VN 841 QV 921 8M 401

Days Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily ..34..7 12...6. 2.4.7 Daily Daily ..34..7 12...6. Daily Daily

Dep 02:25 07:55 07:55 13:30 15:15 17:30 18:25 20:15 14:30 01:05 07:25 12:00 19:05 09:40 13:30 19:50 15:50 18:00

PHNOM PENH - BANGKOK

BANGKOK - PHNOM PENH

SIEM REAP - VIENTIANE QV 522

8M 402

VIENTIANE - SIEM REAP 10:05

20:15
Dep 12:55

PHNOM PENH - BEIJING PHNOM PENH - DOHA ( Via HCMC)

BEIJING - PHNOM PENH DOHA - PHNOM PENH ( Via HCMC)

2.4.5.7
1. 5
Days 1-3-5

13:00
21:25
Arrival 13:55

QV 512
8M 401
Flighs K6 131

2.4.5.7
1. 5
Days 1-3-5

06:30
17:05
Dep 11:20

09:25
19:15
Arrival 12:20

SIEM REAP - YANGON

PREAH SIHANOUK - SIEM REAP Flighs K6 130

YANGON - SIEM REAP

SIEM REAP - PREAH SIHANOUK

PHNOM PENH - GUANGZHOU 11:40 18:10 20:35 17:10 23:40 14:45 20:05 15:05 22:25 22:05 21:00 22:35 06:40 06:50 11:20 14:00 20:00 06:05 23:05

GUANGZHOU - PHNOM PENH

PHNOM PENH - HANOI PHNOM PENH - HO CHI MINH CITY

HANOI - PHNOM PENH HO CHI MINH CITY - PHNOM PENH

PHNOM PENH - HONG KONG

HONG KONG - PHNOM PENH 1.2.4.6.7 08:50 3.5.7 1 2 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 2 14:30 15:25 15:50 18:30 19:10 15:15 09:30 3:20 20:05

Grado Pineta Beach in Italy. Venices wetlands comprise beaches, lagoons, nature reserves and shing villages. PHOTO SUPPLIED

AIRLINES CODE
2817 - 16 Tigerairways 5J - CEBU Airways. AK - Air Asia BR - EVA Airways CI - China Airlines CZ - China Southern FD - Thai Air Asia FM - Shanghai Air K6- Cambodia Angkor Air KA - Dragon Air MH - Malaysia Airlines MI - SilkAir OZ - Asiana Airlines PG - Bangkok Airways QR - Qatar Airways QV - Lao Airlines SQ - Singapore Airlines

COLOUR CODE
1 Monday 2 Tuesday 3 Wednesday 4 Thursday 5 Friday 6 Saturday 7 Sunday

Venices other side: wetlands and wonders

John Brunton

PHNOM PENH - INCHEON

INCHEON - PHNOM PENH

PHNOM PENH - KUALA LUMPUR

KUALA LUMPUR - PHNOM PENH

TG - Thai Airways | VN - Vietnam Airlines

PHNOM PENH- PARIS PHNOM PENH - SHANGHAI PHNOM PENH - SINGAPORE 09:30 12:30 12:20 15:25 15:25 18:10 16:40 09:10 14:50 13:20 12:45 17:30 17:50 13:30 11:45 15:20 18:20 18:10 21:10 19:40 12:00 17:50 16:10 17:05 18:50 19:10 14:55 12:30

PHNOM PENH - PARIS SHANGHAI - PHNOM PENH 2.3.4.5.7 19:30 1.3.5.6.7 07:40 2.4 Daily Daily 1.3 2.4.5 6 7 Daily Daily Daily 1.3.6 08:40 13:30 16:20 15:00 07:20 13:00 11:30 09:10 11:30 11:45 08:20 SINGAPORE - PHNOM PENH

This ight schedule information is updated about once a month. Further information, please contact direct to airline or a travel agent for ight schedule information.

AIRLINES
Koreanair (KE) Room.F3-R03, Intelligent Ofce Myanmar Airways International Center, Monivong Blvd,PP Tel: (855) 23 224 047-9 #90+92+94Eo, St. 217, www.koreanair.com Sk. Orussey4, Kh. 7 Makara, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. T:023 881 178 | F:023 886 677 www.maiair.com Cebu Pacic (5J) Phnom Penh: No. 333B Monivong Blvd. Tel: 023 219161 Siem Reap: No. 50,Sivatha Blvd. Tel: 063 965487 E-mail: cebuair@ptm-travel.com www.cebupacicair.com

RRIVING in Venice, we pick up a hire car and set off along the Adriatic shore The road from the airport is soon running along the northern edge of the Venice lagoon. At the village of Caposile, 20km to the east, we head towards the vast valli da pesca (sh reserves) that occupy much of this northern part First, though, we are stopped by the gatekeeper of a quite surreal bridge over the Sile canal: its a toll bridge resting on second world war pontoons, and we part with 70 cents for the privilege of crossing. The lane gets narrower and narrower as we enter the barene, sandats that stretch as far as the eye can see. Theres not a house in sight: just heron, egrets and geese skimming the still waters. As with many of the tracks, this one goes nowhere, but fortunately the dead end is also the site of Agriturismo La Barena, an ancient redbrick farmhouse overlooking the lagoon, with six rooms. Depending on the chefs mood, you could end up feasting on specialities such wild duck and beef with ery horseradish and garlicky parsley pesto, or a vegetarian menu using baby artichokes, courgette owers, radicchio and the distinctive cardoons that grow in the lagoons sandy, salty soil. We head east to Marano Lagunare. Marano looks out on to one of the most stunning wetlands on this part of the Adriatic, with an educational nature reserve, and a birdwatching paradise. Unique to these Adriatic lagoons are the casoni, spartan sher-

mens huts built on isolated sandats from canna palustre, bamboo-like reeds that grow in these estuaries. Marano has more than 30 beautifully preserved casoni, all still owned by shermen. The casone looks small from the outside, but within is quite spacious, with sleeping quarters, stove and chimney. We are now about 100 miles from Venice and arriving in Grado is spectacular: you drive for 3km across a low bridge that seems to oat across the lagoon. Before hitting the town we take a boat out to the mystical Isola di Barbana, an island sanctuary that has been drawing pilgrims since medieval times, then carry on to the most eastern point of the lagoon, to Valle Cavanata nature reserve. This is a commercial valle da pesca that has been returned to its original state, with hunting and shing banned. Visitors can walk the perimeter, spotting but not disturbing the wildlife. In spring and autumn, the ancient port of Grado is a delight, with shing trawlers moored on a canal in the centre of town. In summer it morphs into one of the Adriatics busiest beach resorts. There are dozens of bars and restaurants, but we timidly push open the door of what looks like a private osteria. The place is rocking, packed out, and we learn that it is the bar of the shermens co-operative. But visitors are made to feel right at home, drinks are less than 1, and by the end of a long night, one of the pescatori, Roberto Camuffo, who could be Brian Cloughs long-lost twin, is inviting us for lunch at his casone. THE GUARDIAN

Air Asia (AK) Room T6, PP International Airport. Tel: 023 6666 555 Fax: 023 890 071 www.airasia.com

PHNOM PENH -TAIPEI PHNOM PENH - VIENTIANE

TAIPEI - PHNOM PENH VIENTIANE - PHNOM PENH

Dragon Air (KA) #168, Monireth, PP Tel: 023 424 300 Fax: 023 424 304 www.dragonair.com/kh

PHNOM PENH - YANGON SIEM REAP - PHNOM PENH

YANGON - SIEM REAP

Tiger airways G. oor, Regency square, Suare, Suite #68/79, St.205, Sk Chamkarmorn, PP Tel: (855) 95 969 888 (855) 23 5515 888/5525888 E: info@cambodiaairlines.net

SilkAir (MI) Regency C,Unit 2-4,Tumnorb Teuk, Chamkarmorn Phnom Penh Tel:023 988 629 www.silkair.com

SIEM REAP - BANGKOK Flighs

K6 700

BANGKOK - SIEM REAP Dep

12:50

REGULAR SHIPPING LINES SCHEDULES CALLING PORT ROTATION

Arrival
04:05
LINE RCL (12calls/moth) CALLING SCHEDULES 1 Wed, 08:00 - Thu 16:00 2 Thu, 14:00 - Fri 22:00 3 Fri, 20:00 - Sat 23:59 MEARSK (MCC) (4 calls/moth) SITC (BEN LINE (4 calls/onth) ITL (ACL) (4 calls/month) APL (4 calls/month) COTS (2 calls/month) 1 Th, 08:00 - 20:00 2 Fri, 22:00- Sun 00:01 Sun 09:00-23:00 Sat 06:00 - Sun 08:00 Fri, 08:00 - Sun, 06:00 Irregula FREEQUENCY ROTATION PORTS 1 Call/week 1 Call/week 1 Call/week 1 Call/week 1 Call/week 1 Call/week 1 Call/week 1 call/week SIN-SHV-SGZ-SIN HKG-SHV-SGZ-HKG (HPH-TXGKEL) SIN-SHV-SGZ-SIN SGN-SHV-LZP-SGN - HKG-OSA-TYO-KOB - BUS-SGH-YAT-SGN - SIN-SHV-TPP-SIN HCM-SHV-LZP-HCMNBO-SGH-OSA-KOBBUS-SGH-HGK-CHM SGZ-SHV-SIN-SGZ SIN-SHV-SIN

Days
Daily

Arrival
2:00

Flighs
K6 701

Days
Daily

Dep
02:55

PG 924 PG 906 PG 914 PG 908 PG 910 CZ 3054 CZ 3054

K6 850

Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 2.4.6 1.3.5.7

Daily

09:45 13:15 15:20 18:50 20:30 11:25 19:25

06:50

11:10 14:40 16:45 20:15 21:55 15:35 23:20

08:30

PG 903 PG 905 PG 913 PG 907 PG 909 CZ 3053 CZ 3053

K6 851

Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 2.4.6 1.3.5.7

Daily

08:00 11:35 13:35 17:00 18:45 08:45 16:35

19:30

09:00 12:45 14:35 18:10 19:55 10:30 18:30

21:15

SIEM REAP - GUANGZHOU

GUANGZHOU - SIEM REAP

SIEM REAP -HANOI VN 868 VN 842 VN 844 VN 800 VN 3818 VN 826 VN 3820 VN 828 VN 3822 KE 688 OZ 738 AK 281 MH 765 1.2.3.5.6 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 3.5.7 12:40 18:05 19:45 21:00 11:10 13:30 17:45 18:20 21:35 23:15 23:40 08:35 14:15 15:35 19:45 21:25 22:40 12:30 14:40 18:45 19:20 22:35 06:10 07:10 11:35 17:25

HANOI - SIEM REAP VN 843 VN 845 VN 845 VN 801 VN 3809 VN 827 VN 3821 VN 829 VN 3823 KE 687 OZ 737 AK 280 MH 764 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 3.5.7 15:25 17:05 17:45 18:20 09:15 11:35 15:55 16:20 19:45 18:30 19:20 06:50 12:10 17:10 18:50 19:30 20:00 10:35 12:35 16:55 17:40 20:45 22:15 22:40 07:50 13:15

2 calls/month BBK-SHV-BKK-(LZP)

34 call/month
SGZ= Songkhla, Thailand SHV= Sihanoukville Port Cambodia SIN= Singapore TPP= TanjungPelapas, Malaysia TYO= Tokyo, Japan TXG= Taichung, Taiwan YAT= Yantian, China YOK= Yokohama, Japan

SIEM REAP - HO CHI MINH CITY

HO CHI MINH CITY - SIEM REAP

BUS= Busan, Korea HKG= HongKong kao=Kaoshiung, Taiwan ROC Kob= Kebe, Japan KUN= Kuantan, Malaysia LZP= Leam Chabang, Thailand NBO= Ningbo, China OSA= Osaka, Japan SGN= Saigon, Vietnam

SIEM REAP - INCHEON

INCHEON - SIEM REAP

FLY DIRECT TO MYANMAR MONDAY, WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY YANGON - PHNOM PENH SIEM REAP - YANGON

PHNOM PENH - YANGON YANGON - SIEM REAP

SIEM REAP - KUALA LUMPUR

KUALA LUMPUR - SIEM REAP

FLY DIRECT TO SIEM REAP MONDAY, WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY #90+92+94Eo, St. 217, Sk. Orussey4, Kh. 7 Makara, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tel 023 881 178 | Fax 023 886 677 | www.maiair.com

20

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

Entertainment
NOW SHOWING
LEGEND CINEMA
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and battles a new threat from old history: the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier. City Mall: 11:40am, 7:30pm, 9:30pm Toul Kork: 9:15am, 2pm RIO 2 Its a jungle out there for Blu, Jewel and their three kids in RIO 2, after theyre hurtled from that magical city to the wilds of the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful Nigel, and meets the most fearsome adversary of all - his father-in-law. Featuring the voices of Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway. City Mall: 9:10am, 3:20pm Toul Kork: 11:20am, 3:35pm, 5:55pm OCULUS A woman tries to exonerate her brother, who was convicted of murder, by proving that the crime was committed by a supernatural phenomenon. City Mall: 10:05pm Toul Kork: 1:35pm, 7:35pm THREESOME Thai movie. City Mall: 9:15am, 2:15pm, 4:40pm, 7:05pm, 9:40pm Toul Kork: 11:10am, 1:20pm, 4:35pm, 7pm, 9:40pm TEACHERS DIARY Thai movie. City Mall: 9:15am, 11:10am, 1:25pm, 5:20pm Toul Kork: 9:10am, 11:50am, 3:45pm, 7:55pm SHE DEVIL Woen, a naive young man from the countryside, has a crush on a beautiful girl in his village named Ploy. When Woen and Ploys parents arrange the couples marriage, Woen is thrilled. However, on the night of their wedding, Ploy suddenly changes into a different person. Rather than run away, Woen decides to everything he can to bring the real Ploy back. Horror movie. City Mall: 3:35pm, 7:40pm Toul Kork: 5:35pm, 10:05pm
Blue, a painting by Dina Chhan from Re-housing of Non Houses. photo sUpplied

Art @ The Mansion

In Re-housing of Non Houses, Fani llaurado and Dina Chhan mix photography and paint. This is a project about public spaces that have ended up as permanent homes and vital communities. Dina Chhan is a painter and sculptor who captures the lives of ordinary Cambodians through a range of styles.

The FCCs The Mansion, #3 Sothearos Boulevard (directly behind the FCC). Ongoing

Open Mic @ Oscar 51

A new open mic night for music and comedy at Oscar 51. Performers will get three free drinks.

Oscar 51, #29 Street 51. Between Street 172 and 174. 8pm

Swing @ The Village

Locals, expats, visitors - everyone is welcome to swing-out on the dance oor. Hard. The teacher is international swing extraordinaire Janice Wilson. No experience necessary for beginner classes. $3 per class.

TV PICKS

1:25pm - KILLING SEASON: Two veterans of the Bosnian War -- one American, one Serbian -- find their unlikely friendship turn tense with one of them reveals their true intentions. FOX MOVIES 2pm - OBLIVION: A veteran assigned to extract Earths remaining resources begins to question what he knows about his mission and himself. HBO 2:55pm - TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 2: After the birth of Renesmee, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi. FOX MOVIES 11:15pm - PITCH PERFECT: Beca, a freshman at Barden University, is cajoled into joining The Bellas, her schools all-girls singing group. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition. HBO

The Village, #1 Street 360. 6:30pm for intermediates, 7:30pm for beginners.

Photos @ Equinox
The Downtown Collective exhibition displays stunning photography depicting day to day life along the streets of Phnom Penh, including some emotional moments.

Rebel Wilson stars in Pitch Perfect, about a university singing group. AFP

Equinox Bar, #3A Street 278. Ongoing

Thinking caps
WHATS HIS NAME?
ACROSS
1 6 10 14 15 16 17 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 31 34 35 36 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 50 53 54 55 58 59 60 61 62 63 Large school of fish Emulate a picador Pastrami source Bay of Naples isle Story Very big birds It comes monthly No in France Continental currency Babys diversion Makes certain Continuity problems Smidge Baseball great Willie Common article To remain in abeyance Tourists entry permit Relative of 16-Across They know their cues? Impel Throw, as a coin In other words, in Ovids words It gets hot in a bag Quick gait Historical leader? Word of respect to a woman Bacterium Backward, at sea Cash in Cancun Snapshot, in slang Proverbial currency Forget to include Pastoral woodwind Machete kin They have kids Tiny parasite Ream unit

DOWN
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 19 24 25 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 37 38 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 56 57 Vista Fire-extinguishing gas Begins the bidding Compass line Book review types Agitates Cinco de Mayo snack Sting like a bee athlete Breach of trust Financial burdens Put off Calm in a storm Lighthouse locale Kicked oneself for Sharp barks Affording benefit Struggles for air In the ___ of (among) God shed His grace on ___ Term on terrycloth The Orioles division, informally Touch borders with Covert transmitting device Pond organism Sound of acceleration Actress Winona Haphazardly Army branch until 1947 Truck weight without fuel or load Galileos birthplace Track and field get-togethers Donnybrook Editorialize Place for stagnant water Showy success Physicists study Foolish oaf (Var.) Barbershop request Conspiracy Kimono belt Ebenezers exclamation

wednesdays solution

wednesdays solution

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

Sport

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ONE FC finish off Singapore card with three huge battles

Dan Riley

National athletes to begin training regime

NE Fighting Championship has conrmed the nal three ghts to its 10-bout mixed martial arts ght card, ONE FC: Honor & Glory, which will rock the Singapore Indoor Stadium on May 30. Hong Kong lightweight Eddie The Magician Ng will put his undefeated streak on the line when he meets top Dutch kickboxer Vincent Latoel. Former ONE FC featherweight world champion, Honorio Banario of the Philippines, is also set to return to action as he takes on the challenge of Mongolian cage ghter Jadambaa Narantungalag. Brazilian jiu-jitsu no-gi grappling champion Bruno Pucci rounds off the late additions with a featherweight match against exciting American prospect Major Overall. Ng (7-1) holds one of the best winning streaks in ONE FC, having racked up four consecutive wins over the regions best lightweights. The prodigious 28-year-old mixed martial artist began his career by learning techniques through watching video tapes, eventually travelling to Singapore where he has now settled as a member of the Evolve Fight Team. Latoel (14-14-2) is a globe-trotting ghter who has made a career out of putting on exciting bouts. A win over Ng would propel the 35-year-old Dutchman up the rankings and establish him as a potential contender for the lightweight title. Banario (8-3) is a wushu practitioner who rose up to become the inaugural ONE FC Featherweight World Champion in February last year. At the age of 24, he is 16 years younger than his opponent Narantungalag, who is entering the ONE FC cage for the rst time but holds an identical MMA re-

The May 30 event will be headlined by an epic welterweight clash between ONE FC newcomers Ben Askren (12-0) of the US and Azerbaijans Bakhtiyar Abbasov (11-2). Meanwhile, ONE FC: Rise of Heroes is set to pack out the 20,000-seater SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, the Philippines, tomorrow night. The 10-bout card is capped off by the Bantamweight ONE FC World Champion title match between belt holder Bibiano The Flash Fernandes of Brazil and Japans Masakatsu Ueda.

Fridays Fight Card

Bantamweight title ght Bibiano Fernandes (BRA) v Masakatsu Ueda (JAP) Lightweight bout Kotetsu Boku (JAP) v Eduard Folayang (PHI) Flyweight bout Joshua Alvarez (GUA) v Rey Docyogen (PHI) Bantamweight bout Rob Lisita (AUS) v Yusuke Kawanago (JAP) Middleweight bout Tatsuya Mizuno (JAP) v Leandro Ataides (BRA) Heavyweight bout James McSweeney (UK) v Chris Lokteff (AUS) Womens Flyweight bout Aya-Saeid Saber (EGY) v Ana Julaton (PHI) Middleweight bout Aung La N Sang (MYA) v Mahmoud Salama (EGY) Flyweight bout Gianni Subba (BRA) v Eugene Toquero (PHI) Womens Atomweight bout Jujeath Nagaowa (PHI) v Jeet Toshi (IND)

THE seven-month training season for Cambodias national sports teams was official launched yesterday morning during a ceremony held at the National Institute of Education which was attended by 271 athletes, 58 coaches, and 22 officials representing 21 different sports. Under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, trainings are set to follow four distinct stages of focus physical, technical, tactical and performance. According to National Training Center chief Bun Sok, monthly salaries granted by the Ministry are to remain the same as last year. Athletes will receive 250,000 riel (US$62.66), while coaches will get 300,000 riel and officials 150,000 riel. An additional 23,000 riel per person per day will also be distributed, except on Saturdays and Sunday. YEUN
PONLOK, TRANSLATED BY CHENG SERYRITH

Hong Kongs Eddie Ng, pictured here pounding a grounded Arnaud Depont of France at ONE FC: Kings & Champions in Singapore 12 months ago, will take on Vincent Latoel of the Netherlands on May 30. ONEFC.COM

cord to the Filipino. Considered the best cage ghter to emerge from his country, Narantungalag channels the iconic Mongolian warrior spirit when he competes. Pucci (3-0) has won over ght fans around the world with his impressive ONE FC debut, where he locked in a rear naked choke and submitted Paki-

stan MMA pioneer Bashir Ahmad in the rst round. The Brazilian is a decorated no-gi grappling champion who has remained undefeated since transitioning to mixed martial arts. Overall (4-1) is a ghter never lacking in condence, and has signicantly improved his striking since moving to Asia.

Australian swimming great Ian Thorpe has left a Sydney hospital after battling serious infections for more than three weeks following shoulder surgery, his manager said yesterday. At one point there were reports that the 31-yearold five-time Olympic gold medallist would lose the use of his left arm, although they proved unfounded. It looks as though the infections have cleared up. It can always re-infect as its done twice before but we are hopeful, his manager James Erskine told Australian Associated Press in confirming he was out of hospital. Thorpe had broken his shoulder in a fall in Australia some months ago and Erskine said previously the swimmer known as Thorpedo would not be resuming his career. AFP

Thorpe out of hospital after battling infections

Golfers switch to Lion City Stade Khmer rst to

The hastily rearranged Championship will tee off in Singapore today after a last-minute shift from South Korea forced players to swiftly change their travel plans. Some players had to cancel flights, while defending champion Brett Rumford had passport problems and nearly missed last weeks Volvo China Open after he sent off for an unneeded Korean visa. And Indias Anirban Lahiri turned up in tropical Singapore with jumpers and jackets which he had packed for chilly South Korea before the venue change was announced earlier this month. Those are the hazards of what happens sometimes. But its part and parcel of what we do and Im just glad that weve got this tournament here and we still have the playing opportunity, Lahiri said. The tournament, formerly the Ballantines Championship, was held at South Koreas Blackstone Golf Club six times from 2008 but was moved three weeks ago after losing its title sponsor. Yesterday, players practised on a makeshift driving range at Laguna National Golf and Ive heard, said Bernd Wiesberger, winner of the Ballantines in 2012. We lost the tournament at Blackstone, which was a shame for me as Id played well there for two years. But it is great to be here in Singapore and we have to pay a great deal of credit to everyone for setting up a tournament like this in such a short period of time. Despite the late move, the Championship, which has few recognised stars, is a valuable opportunity for Asia-based players to get a win which would give them valuable access to the European Tour. One of my goals is to be playing in Europe, and this is one of those chances, said Lahiri, who is on a roll after winning last weeks CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters. Kang Sung-Hoon paid tribute to the victims of this months ferry disaster, when a vessel headed to Jeju island former home of the Championship capsized leaving 210 dead and 92 missing. So Ill just do my best, get a good result and give them at least a little bit of consolation, said the South Korean. AFP

Legitimacy of Rutherford record gets challenged

GrEg Rutherfords new British long jump record of 8.51 metres is not legitimate and should be expunged from the record books because his foot was significantly over the line when he took off, according to his bitter rival Chris Tomlinson. Tomlinson, who held the national record with Rutherford until last week, and he also claimed other long jumpers were laughing at the small meeting in San Diego and that its officials were worse than the ones at his local track. He said he had established that no Plasticine was used at last weeks meeting, in contravention of IAAF Rule 184, which specifies that a Plasticine indicator board must be used in competition. THE GUARDIAN

play Chris Kays 10s

H S Manjunath

Indonesian Masters winner Anirban Lahiri is unperturbed by the last-minute venue change of The Championship this week. AFP

Country Club, which is midredevelopment and had little time to prepare for the European and Asian Tour-sanctioned tournament. The unsponsored Championship is the biggest mens golf event in Singapore this year with the Singapore Open, once known as Asias major, sidelined since the withdrawal of its title sponsor. It underlines a difficult year for Asian golf with only seven confirmed tournaments on the Asian Tour schedule so far this year. Previous full seasons have had more than 20 tournaments. We are fortunate to have the tournament from what

StAde Khmer Rugby Club will go down in the chronicles of Cambodian history as the rst team ever to take part in the prestigious Chris Kays Memorial Rugby 10s tournament being played on Saturday in Thailands coastal city of Pattaya. With high hopes of making this trip a trend-setting one for the Kingdom, the team will leave Phnom Penh in the early hours of tomorrow monring and grab some training time in the late afternoon ahead of their rst match at the Horseshoe Point Resort pitch. Arguably one of Phnom Penhs frontline outts, Stade Khmer will have nine local players of whom Tho Khemara will be making his rst overseas trip. Seven expats add muscle to the team which has been placed in the fourteam Pool C. In all, there are 16 teams in the fray split into four groups in this one-day event. Stade Khmer will open their campaign against Khon Kaen

Blue Hawks in the morning and play two more matches later in intervals of around three hours against Bangkok Bangers and Thai Mosquitoes F Team. Stade Khmer is happy to participate in a tournament outside the country. The main objective is to provide local players an opportunity to travel and enhance their rugby experiences, Jean-Baptiste Suberbie, club president and program development manager of Kampuchea Balopp, told the Post yesterday. Kampuchea Balopp is a local charity organisation striving for youth development through rugby. It is the rst time a Cambodian team is taking part in this tournament. We are happy and proud to represent the country and we will make sure that this will be a trip to remember, added Suberbie. We do not know much about the quality of the teams and their skill levels but our aim is to enrich our experience and play to the best of our ability.

Bouchard battles to win, Stosur stunned

Canadian Eugenie Bouchard made a winning debut at the ATP-WTA Portugal Open on Tuesday as third seed Samantha Stosurs downward spiral continued with a firstround exit. The 30-year-old Australian Stosur was beaten in just 72 minutes, going down 6-4, 6-0 to Swiss qualifier Timea Bacsinszky, and will need to make amends quickly next week in Madrid as the French Open draws nearer. AFP

22

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

Sport

Boys kisses for Le Tour womens race winners

THE sight of a Tour de France winner being congratulated by the races yellow-clad hostesses is familiar to most sports fans but it will be given a 21st-century twist with the addition of podium boys or hosts, as the French term them when a womens race returns to the Tour de France on the Champs Elyses on July 27. Those who make it on to the podium can look forward to kisses from podium boys! read a statement from Le Tour de France. In the long term, however, the most important element revealed at Tuesdays launch of La Course is the extent of television coverage the race will enjoy: the twohour event is expected to be broadcast in 147 countries, with 12 channels across 104 of those countries showing it live. It is, the organisers believe, the most exposure a womens cycle race will receive apart from at the Olympic Games and it should provide a dramatic calling card for teams in search of sponsorship cash. THE GUARDIAN

Britains Khan primed for action after year to forget

OLLOWING lurid stories about his personal life and a year of inactivity, Amir Khan has never needed to win a ght as much as in his welterweight debut against Luis Collazo on Saturday. No world titles are on the line against Collazo, but defeat would cast the Briton adrift of the elite in the worlds most competitive and lucrative weight division. A third defeat in ve ghts would also end Khans hopes of securing a ght with Floyd Mayweather, boxings biggest star and money generator. Despite his absence from the ring, Khan has remained in the headlines in Britain due to a series of tabloid newspaper allegations that he cheated on his pregnant wife Faryal Makhdoom, which he denies. I want to show the world how good Amir Khan is after 12 months out of the ring, he told AFP from his training base in San Francisco. Ive been very focused on my training. Im glad Ive been in America and Ive not been around all that stuff. Im focusing on just one thing to get the ght done. It has been difcult, but it has been good to have time off because I got married and Ive had the chance to spend more time with the wife around the house. The former world light-welterweight champion has also had to contend with the frustration of seeing a ght with Mayweather slip through his ngers. Khan, 27, instead nds himself in the opposite corner to 33-year-old New Yorker Collazo on the undercard of Mayweathers WBC and WBA world welterweight titles defence at the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather ghts Argentine Marcos Maidana, whose stock has risen since Khan out-pointed him four years ago. Khans reputation, meanwhile, has suffered since he lost the IBF and WBA world light-welterweight titles in 2011 after a two-year reign and then had to climb off the canvas to out-point Mexican Julio Diaz a year ago. Khan, who won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics, appears to be fuelled by indignation and says that the stories about his private life have not been a distraction.

Trump purchases iconic Turnberry golf course

Donald Trump has confirmed his purchase of the iconic Turnberry resort and golf course in Ayrshire. The billionaire American, whose existing golf course project in Scotland has been overshadowed by a series of controversies, has bought Turnberry from the Dubaibased Leisurecorp. The sum is undisclosed but Trump is believed to have paid considerably less than the 52 million ($87.5 million) Leisurecorp bought the venue for in 2008. The subsequent economic crash effectively led to Turnberry being on the market immediately with Trumps name routinely linked with a buyout. THE GUARDIAN

British welterweight Amir Khan punches a bag during a workout session at Virgil Hunter's Gym in Hayward, California. AFP

Penguins edge Blue Jackets to advance

Russian star Evgeni Malkin scored a hat-trick to power the Pittsburgh Penguins over Columbus 4-3 on Monday and into the second round of the National Hockey League playoffs. Malkin broke out of a scoring slump with his first goals of the play-offs, helping stake Pittsburgh to a four-goal edge before Columbus rallied late with three goals in a fiveminute span of the third period only to fall short. The Penguins captured the best-of-seven series four games to two. AFP

On the work he has done to tighten up his defence, he added: I wanted to spend time with my trainer, Virgil Hunter, in San Francisco and improve my style and not make the mistakes I make. Half of the time Ive been hurt is because I was in the wrong place with my feet. For example, when Diaz hit me with the left hook, I wasnt hurt but off balance. I needed to improve on those things without having an opponent in front of me. Khans exile was selfenforced after he opted to wait for a ght with Mayweather, passing up an opportunity to challenge for the IBF version of the world welterweight title last December.

Khan claimed that he had signed a deal to ght Mayweather, but the worlds pound-for-pound number one boxer instead asked his fans to choose his next opponent via an online poll. Khan won the internet vote, only for Mayweather to declare that he would ght Maidana in what was another embarrassing blow for the ghter from Bolton in northwest England. I was upset when the Mayweather ght didnt happen, Khan said. It was the biggest ght of my career and I was within touching distance of it, so it was upsetting. Maybe it was for the best because I could work on my game and move up to welterweight and get used to it. Im

only 27, Im still young, so I could have the Mayweather ght in the future. For now, Khan refuses to contemplate the possibility of securing a payday worth upwards of $6 million against Mayweather should he beat the tattooed Collazo, who lost the WBA world title to Britains Ricky Hatton in 2006. Collazo just had a good tworound win versus Victor Ortiz and that will give him more condence, Khan said. It could be a horrible ght because he is a tricky ghter and has a southpaw, awkward style. But Ive never had any problems with southpaws and used to spar Manny Pacquiao. AFP

Seahawks reward top defender Earl Thomas

Trio vying to host 2019 Asian Games

INdONesIA, China and the UAE are candidates to replace Vietnam as the hosts for the 18th Asian Games in 2019. Following Vietnams recent withdrawal from hosting of the Games in its northern capital of Hanoi, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is working hard to find a replacement for the quadrennial games to be held in five years time. China, Indonesia and UAE express their respective interest to host the Games, said OCA vice president Major General Charouck Arirachakaran of Thailand, adding that Indonesia will present Surabaya as the host city while the UAE will push for Dubai. China still hasnt named the host city. But they have many cities qualified to host the games. The vice president said that all the three countries had their advantages in the bidding process. The UAE seemed to have a financial strength while China are experienced in hosting many big games. Indonesia cannot be overlooked should they get the support from the government. At the end, it depends on OCA to decide which way they want the games to be in the future, he said. OCA director-general and technical director Husain AlMusallam said the host city for the 2019 games will be decided during a meeting on September 20, one day after the opening ceremony of the 17th Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Refusing to name the favourite, the Kuwaiti said OCA will evaluate all the factors to choose the right hosts for the games. They should host the games in one city and the venues and organising must meet international standards, he said, adding that OCA will not give it to any particular region. Instead, it will give it to the city able to meet their requirements. Al-Musallam also confirmed that Vietnam was not fined for their withdrawal because the OCA agreed with their decision.
BANGKOK POST

THE Seattle Seahawks officially signed safety Earl Thomas to a contract extension on Tuesday, reportedly making him the highest-paid NFL player at his position. The defensive star had a career-high 105 tackles, five interceptions and nine passes defended in 16 games last season, leading the Seahawks "Legion of Boom" defensive secondary in the team's run to a first Super Bowl title. Terms of the deal were not announced, but multiple media outlets reported Monday that the deal is worth $40 million over four years, with $27.725 million guaranteed. AFP

OCA director-general and technical director Husain Al-Musallam said the host city for the 2019 Asian Games will be decided on September 20. AFP

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

Football
Juventus confident of overturning deficit

23

WHILE they close in on retaining the Italian Serie A title, Juventus are confident they can overturn a 2-1 deficit in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final against Portuguese side Benfica tonight. The teams, both two-time European champions in the past, meet at the Juventus Stadium in Turin looking to clinch a place in the final, which will be played at the same venue on May 14. Juve and Benfica dropped into Europes second-tier competition after exiting the Champions League, but Valencia and Sevilla have been in the Europa League from the beginning. Now the two Spanish sides clash in the second leg of the other semifinal, with Sevilla defending a 2-0 first-leg lead. Both games kick off tonight at 2:05am Cambodian time. AFP

Real Madrids Cristiano Ronaldo (left) scores from a freekick during the closing moments of their UEFA Champions League semi-nal second-leg against Bayern Munich.

AFP

Record-breaking Ronaldo eager for the final in Lisbon P

Ryland James

OrTUGAlS Cristiano Ronaldo says the chance to win the Champions League title with Real Madrid in Lisbon means more to him than setting the new European goal-scoring record. The 29-year-old Real star netted twice in Tuesdays historic 4-0 rout of Bayern Munich as the holders suffered their heaviest home defeat in European competition to crash out of the semi-nals 5-0 on aggregate. Ronaldo picked up his 15th and 16th goals of the current European campaign to help put the Spanish side into the nal in Lisbon on May

24 as Carlo Ancelottis side humiliated the defending champions. The Portuguese forwards two goals helped him eclipse the previous best of 14 in a season registered by Barcelonas Lionel Messi in 2011-12 and Jose Altani of AC Milan in 1962-63. The team really helped me, I am overjoyed, but not primarily because of the cup record, but mainly because we now have the chance to win the title, especially in my home country, in Lisbon, said Ronaldo, who was born on the island of Madeira, but started his professional career at Sporting Lisbon. Real will be looking to claim La Decima their 10th European title

having last reached the Champions League nal in 2002. Well go there [to Lisbon] with our heads held high, but with our feet on the ground. It will be a difcult game, said Ronaldo, with the nal to be held at the Estadio da Luz, the home of Benca, the local rivals of Sporting, who Ronaldo left in 2003 to join Manchester United as an 18year-old. Ronaldo put Reals emphatic win down to their Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti as reigning European champions Bayern were humiliated in their own Allianz Arena stadium. It is solely the merit of Carlo Ancelotti, Ronaldo said, as the Italian

replaced Jose Mourinho, who now coaches Chelsea, at the start of the season. He changed everything, especially the mentality of the players. The World Player of the Year has reached the new record tally in just 10 appearances in the competition this season, his tally also including a hattrick against Galatasaray in the group stage and braces against FC Copenhagen, Juventus and in both legs of the last-16 tie against Schalke 04. Ronaldo has now scored 66 Champions League goals and is closing in on former Real Madrid striker Rauls overall record for the most goals in the competition of 71. AFP

deny reports Everton eye new stadium Tottenham of appointing De Boer

EVerTON have identified a site in Liverpool with a view to building a new stadium, ch ief exec ut ive Rober t Elstone revealed during the Premier League clubs annual general meeting. The stadium remains a big priority, Elstone said. Were not ruling out any of the sites that weve identified and that the council has presented to us, but there is one site which is getting more attention and has been getting more attention for a number of months. We hope it comes to fruition and, if it does, I think its something that the city and our fans will be very proud of, he continued. Everton revealed last year that they were working in collaboration with Liverpool City city boundaries. Elstone did not name the site, but he suggested that the club could be in a position to provide a further update on their plans to relocate before the start of next season. The timeframe is relatively short-term because we are sitting and evaluating whether this is the right thing to do, and we are certainly not going to dwell on that, he told the meeting late on Tuesday. So at some point in the next few weeks and months, we will need to make a decision, and when we do, we will announce it to the fans. Earlier this month, Evertons bitter city rivals Liverpool announced plans to increase the capacity of their Anfield ground from 45,276 to around 54,000. AFP TOTTeNhAM Hotspur declared yesterday that they have not made any moves to appoint a new manager, after British media reports linked them with Ajax coach Frank de Boer. Reports that we have made approaches to other clubs regarding coaching staff are wholly inaccurate. We have NOT contacted any club regarding coaching appointments, the club said in a statement on their website. We regret that a statement such as this is necessary, however we feel it is important to clarify matters. Several British media outlets on Tuesday cited an interview given by De Boer to Dutch broadcaster NOS in which he reportedly said that he had agreed to hold talks with Tottenham. The BBC subsequently reported that an Ajax spokesman had conrmed contact between Spurs and the Dutch clubs director of football Marc Overmars on the subject of De Boers availability. Former youth coach Tim Sherwood was appointed Spurs manager on an 18month contract last December, but his position has come under scrutiny after the team fell out of contention for a Champions League place. Former Netherlands international De Boer, 43, has won the Eredivisie league title with Ajax in each of his four years as coach. His current contract is due to expire in 2017. AFP

A BRaZILIan player will read an anti-racism message from Pope Francis ahead of the June 12 World Cup curtain-raiser, President Dilma Rousseff said on Tuesday. Rousseff revealed the move two days after a storm broke over racism in football with Brazil and Barcelona defender Dani Alves widely praised for picking up a banana thrown onto the pitch in Spain and eating it. The Estado de Sao Paulo daily reported Rousseff, who took to social media to support Alves, had told newspaper sports editors that a papal message would precede Brazils match with Croatia in Sao Paulo. Spanish police said yesterday they had arrested a spectator suspected of hurling the banana at Alves. The person has been detained, a police spokesman said without giving further details. A fan threw a banana onto the pitch near the 30-year-old Brazilian international as he was about to take a corner during Barcelonas away match against Villareal on Sunday night. Alves won praise for his reaction, picking up the banana to take a bite before getting on with the game and setting up a goal in Barcelonas dramatic comefrom-behind 3-2 victory. Villarreal said they had identified the fan who threw the banana, withdrawn his club membership and permanently banned him from their ground. afp

Papal racism message for World Cup opener

West Ham, Newcastle to play NZ tournament

Everton have called Goodison Park home for 122 years. AFP

Council to find a new home, after 122 years at Goodison Park, which currently has a capacity of just over 40,000. The new stadium would be a purpose-built 50,000-seater arena and Everton hope to locate it within the Liverpool

WEst Ham and Newcastle United will take part in a fourteam tournament in New Zealand with A-League sides Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC in the Premier League close season, the Phoenix said yesterday. Newcastle will play Sydney in Dunedin on July 22, with Wellington taking on West Ham in Auckland the following day. The tournament finishes with a double header in Wellington on July 26 when Sydney play West Ham and Wellington take on Newcastle. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce said: The tournament in New Zealand is particularly interesting as it allows us to promote West Ham United and the Premier League over there. AFP

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THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 1, 2014

Sport

Keen eye on service

Ding Ning of China serves against Eva Odorova of Slovakia during their womens singles round two match of the 2014 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Tokyo on Tuesday. The 52nd edition of the competition is being held in Japan for the seventh time and will conclude on Monday. AFP

Clippers owner banned for life

HE National Basketball Association came down hard on Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling on Tuesday, banning him for life for deeply offensive and harmful racist comments that sparked a national restorm. NBA commissioner Adam Silver hit Sterling with every penalty at his disposal, ning him a maximum $2.5 million dollars and calling on other owners to force him to sell his team. The swift, sharp reaction drew praise from around the league and buoyed Clippers players, who defeated the Golden State Warriors 113-103 on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference rst-round playoff series. I thought they were great, Clippers coach Glenn Doc Rivers said of his players. I thought they were tired a lot, and that was the result of the last few days. I just thought they had great mental toughness. They wanted to will this game, and Im just proud of them. Rivers said before the game that the sanctions meted out by Silver were the sigh of relief we needed. Is this over? No, its not over, Rivers added.

But its the start of a healing process that we need. Rivers said he felt his team had played under undeserved stress in the three days since an audio recording surfaced of 80-year-old married billionaire Sterling chastising his girlfriend for publicly associating with blacks. It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that youre associating with black people. Do you have to? the man now conrmed to be Sterling says in the recording. The little I ask you is not to promote it ... and not to bring them to my games. The views expressed by Mr Sterling are deeply offensive and harmful, Silver told a news conference in New York. That they came from an NBA owner only heightens the damage and my personal outrage. The punishment means real estate tycoon Sterling cannot attend any NBA games or workouts, appear at any Clippers ofce or facility, or make any business or personnel decisions for the club. Silver said he will urge NBA owners to force Sterling to sell. That would require three-quarters of the owners to agree, and Silver said he fully expected to get the necessary support. Clippers players staged a silent

protest in Oakland on Sunday before a road loss to the Warriors and Rivers said the affair had taken a toll. But fans, torn by love for the team and dismay at Sterling, were also soothed by the NBAs hard stance and greeted the Clippers rapturously before contest. Hate will never win, read one sign held by a fan. Rise above said another. This is our house, the public address announcer said as Los Angeles players took the court for pre-game warm-ups. Be proud of your team. When we ran out for warm-ups it was one of the most emotional things Ive ever been a part of, said Clippers star Chris Paul. To feel the support of our fans I wasnt sure what we would come back to. Silver, in his 88th day as commissioner after taking over from 30-year NBA boss David Stern, apologised to NBA coaches, players, fans and business partners, adding, This has been a painful moment for all members of the NBA family. More than a dozen sponsors severed or suspended their relationships with the Clippers, but the market value of the team Sterling bought for $12 million in 1981 is still expected to approach $600 million.

Already on Tuesday potential suitors were lining up, a list including former boxing world champion turned promoter Oscar de la Hoya and, reportedly, reigning world champ Floyd Mayweather and entertainment mogul David Geffen. NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, whose photo with Sterlings girlfriend prompted the tirade that led to the owners banishment, has also been mentioned as a potential buyer. Johnson tweeted his approval of Silvers ruling saying we have a great leader leading our league. Silvers few critics wondered how Sterling was tolerated so long by owners, given past court cases against him over discrimination charges, but Silver noted that in each instance, Sterling won the legal ght. At the end of the day, the commissioner did an incredible job of making us feel like the situation is under control, Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. The situation will be handled. AFP

Tuesdays Play-Off Results

Washington 75 Chicago 69 (Washington wins series 4-1) Memphis 100 Oklahoma City 99 (OT) (Memphis leads series 3-2)
Jamal Crawford of the Los Angeles Clippers dunks during Game Five of their Western Conference quarter-nals against the Golden State Warriors. AFP