Cambodia, Thailand veer closer to collision course

Everyday News

Long-standing dispute escalates dramatically as Phnom Penh hires fugitive former Thai PM as government adviser

The armies of Cambodia and Thailand declared last week that they have no intention of fighting a war with each other. That's the good news.

The bad news is that the escalating dispute between the Southeast Asian neighbours has become so dangerous that such a statement was required. The past 12 months have seen ambassadors expelled, trade disrupted, accusations of espionage and a series of deadly border clashes around an ancient temple in a contested frontier area.

Tensions have risen dramatically in the past two weeks after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen waded into Thailand's internal political battle by inviting Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand's fugitive former prime minister, to visit Cambodia and gave him a job as a government adviser.

Mr. Hun Sen could scarcely have made a more provocative gesture. Mr. Thaksin, who was ousted from office in a 2006 military coup and is wanted on corruption charges, called his supporters into the streets earlier this year in an effort to topple the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The uprising was quelled by the military after street fighting between pro-Thaksin and pro-government groups left two people dead and more than 100 injured.

Khon Kaen plant set to go online in January

CAMBODIA’S first sugar plant will begin producing unrefined “brown” sugar for export to European markets early next year, an official of Thailand’s Khon Kaen Sugar Industry Public Company said Thursday.

“We plan to begin shipping sugar to European markets in May,” said Korn Posayanond, Khon Kaen’s research and business-development manager.

The firm grows sugarcane on 20,000 hectares in Sre Ambel district of Koh Kong province, and is wrapping up construction on a processing plant ahead of an official launch planned for January 25.

It will be several years before the plant is able to produce refined “white” sugar, said Korn, adding that “for now, about 25,000 tonnes of unrefined sugar will be produced annually for the EU”.

In three years the firm plans to be operating at a planned full capacity of 60,000 tonnes per year, he said.

Famed patron of Angkor "Hirayama" dies

Phnom Penh Post: Famed patron of Angkor dies

JAPANESE painter Ikuo Hirayama, who campaigned for the preservation of Angkor Wat and other cultural icons and was known for his works on the Silk Road and Buddhism, died on Wednesday at the age of 79.

Hirayama died of a stroke at a Tokyo hospital, according to his art museum in western Hiroshima. He is known for his efforts to preserve global cultural treasures such as the Angkor Wat temples, China’s Mogao Caves and Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Buddhist monuments, which were dynamited in 2001 by the Taliban.

His goal was “to make people of all races and religions aware of the value of these human treasures, thus leading to mutual understanding and the promotion of world peace”, said UNESCO, which made him a goodwill ambassador in 1988.

Teruo Jinnai, representative for UNESCO in Cambodia, described the role played by Hirayama in making the rescue of the Angkor temples an international priority: “Immediately after the 1991 peace accords, King Sihanouk made an appeal to the international community to save Angkor. For UNESCO, this was an opportunity to assist Cambodia through the aspect of culture. Culture unites people … because it is shared by everyone.

“Hirayama was one of the people who initiated the response to the Cambodian appeal.

When Japan wanted to extend assistance and needed an expert, Hirayama was one of the few in Japan who could start to make suggestions,” Jinnai said.

This was in part because Hirayama’s own artistic legacy was born in the aftermath of terrible destruction. At the age of 15, Hirayama survived the atomic blast in Hiroshima. Not only was he a witness to the destruction it caused – Hirayama would struggle with radiation-related illness for decades.

At the Tokyo Conference in 1993, the contributions of Hirayama, alongside Angkor specialist Yoshiaki Ishizawa and others, were instrumental in the formation of the International Coordination Committee (ICC) Angkor, said Jinnai. This body would eventually give way to Apsara, the authority that currently manages the Angkor temple sites.

Demining deadline extended by decade

Phnom Penh Post

New goal might be out of reach without more donor funds, govt says.

Photo by: Photo Supplied

The winner of the online Miss Landmine contest, Miss Battambang, Dos Sopheap, was announced Thursday on the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities. She received 2,315 online votes.

PARTIES to the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty have formally approved Cambodia’s request to push back the deadline for clearing all antipersonnel mines by 10 years, though the government’s formal extension request asserts that “current productivity levels will not be sufficient” to meet the revised goal.

Leng Sochea, deputy secretary of the Cambodia Mine Action Authority [CMAA], on Thursday confirmed that the request had been approved Wednesday at the Summit on a Mine-Free World, which is being held this week in Cartagena, Colombia.

“Whether we completely clear all land mines in the country or not, it will depend on the money that we receive from the donor countries and other donors,” he said.

Salt - Might just save your life

WebMD The Salt Solution: Cutting Back on Sodium

Heeding sodium numbers on nutrition fact labels just might save your life.

By Peter Jaret WebMD FeatureReviewed by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

 

Most of the information on nutrition labels can help you stay healthy. Heeding one number in particular -- sodium levels -- just might save your life.

Low Salt, Low Sodium = Proven Health Benefits

Salt, which is sodium chloride, has long been linked to high blood pressure. And high blood pressure, or hypertension, which afflicts nearly one in three Americans, is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease.

Blood pressure is the measure of the force of blood against artery walls. When it rises too high, the pressure causes damage to many organs, including heart, kidneys, brain, and even eyes. By 2025, predictions suggest, 60% of Americans will have high blood pressure.

Salt isn’t the only cause of high blood pressure. Lack of exercise, poor diets, and inherited risk also contribute. “But Americans consume way too much salt, mostly in processed foods,” said University of Pennsylvania nutrition expert Lisa Hark, author of Nutrition for Life. “Cutting back on high-sodium foods is one simple way to lower your risk.”

DASH Your Way to a Low Sodium Diet

The best evidence comes from the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension program, popularly known as DASH, directed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

In one landmark DASH experiment, volunteers were divided into three groups. One group consumed 3,300 milligrams of salt a day, about the average for most Americans. Another limited their intake to just 2,400 mg, which is what most experts recommend. The third cut back to only 1,500 mg a day. Across the spectrum, the less sodium the volunteers consumed, the lower their blood pressure.

Domestic Yorkshire pigs for sell to farmers

Phnom Penh Post

THE MONG Reththy Group plans to begin domestic distribution of 3,000 newly reared Yorkshire pigs starting in April, a manager at the firm said, after importing swine from the United Kingdom for breeding a year ago.

Ly Lavil, manager of the company’s pigs farmhouse, told the Post Sunday that it would sell 8-month-old animals for between US$420 to $500 each.

“We hope farmers will be interested … because the species breeds very rapidly, which enables farmers to raise their incomes,” he said.

Between December last year to March, Mong Reththy Group says it spent $5 million to import 500 sows from the UK to launch a breeding house in Preah Sihanouk province.

Chan Socheat, president of Kampong Speu province’s Pig Raising Association, which breeds around 500 sows, said Sunday he would purchase 30 of Mong Reththy’s Yorkshire breed, which, he added, would be followed by 100 more were the trial to prove successful.

“The first batch bred by Mong Reththy Group is a pure species, which economically means they have more potential than locally bred pigs,” he said.

The industry continues to face problems of inadequate feed supply and low prices at market, particularly compared with imported animals.

According to the Pig Raising Association, half of Cambodia’s pig farmers have ceased operations, and local animals sell at just 7,800 riels (US$1.85) per kilogram, compared with 8,500 riels for imported animals.

Ministry of Commerce data shows that pork prices at markets in Phnom Penh have dropped nearly 4 percent this year.

Deputy Premier rolled red carpet for sys's mum

The Nation

Detainee's mother met at airport by Sok An, the Cambodian deputy premier, thanks to Noppadon's connections in Phnom Penh Ads by Google

Mother of the detained Thai engineer received a warm welcome in Phnom Penh yesterday, with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An waiting for her at the airport.

This second visit, facilitated by opposition Pheu Thai Party, allowed Simarak na Nakhon Phanom to spend two hours with her son Sivarak Chutipong at the Prey Sor prison on the outskirts of the Cambodian capital. She was also allowed to give him basic necessities and food.

Mother visits alleged Thai spy

Bangkok Post

The mother of accused Thai spy Sivarak Chutiphong, Simarak na Nakhon Phanom, and his younger brother flew to Phnom Penh on Wednesday morning to visit him in prison.

Cambodian authorities have allowed Mrs Simarak to see her son for the second time at the request of former foreign affairs minister Noppadon Pattama.

Mrs Simarak said before leaving that she had no hidden agenda in seeking help for her son from the opposition Puea Thai Party.

“I do not want to bother the government too much and in the meantime I want to use all channels available to be able to see my son in Cambodia,” she said.

Mrs Simarak revealed that the Foreign Ministry had offered to provide cash security of 50,000 to 200,000 baht if the Cambodian court allows her son bail.

Mrs Simarak said she would spend one night in Cambodia.

She also said a report that her passport was seized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was incorrect.

Puea Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said his party just wanted to help Mrs Simrak visit her son in helping arrange the visit. There was no intention to upstage the government.

Prime Minister's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey spoke along similar lines. He said there was no loss of face for the government in Peua Thai giving the woman assistance. This was not a political game. It was no more than the love between a mother and her son.

Mr Sivarak, who worked for Thai-owned Cambodia Air Traffic Services, was arrested on Nov 12 and charged with stealing a state secret - Thaksin Shinawatra's flight plan - and passing it to a Thai diplomat.

His bail application will be decided on Thursday and his trial is expected to begin next Tuesday.

Asia - Medical tourism are booming

Phnom Penh Post Healthcare industry fuels surge in demand for nursing colleges

The healthcare industry is booming across Southeast Asia. Private hospitals in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and even Ho Chi Minh City are flooded with patients from around the region and increasingly from the Middle East, Europe and North America.

They come for annual checkups, heart bypasses, hip replacements, kidney transplants, laser eye surgery and every other kind of medical treatment conceivable, including sex change operations.

And they do it because the quality of treatment is as good, if not better, than they can get in their own countries, and because it costs much less than at home.

The thriving ‘medical tourism’ industry is expected to continue to boom for the foreseeable future because of a heightened awareness of the benefits of quality healthcare and because the world’s ageing populations will require more frequent medical checkups and treatments.

Ten years ago, consumer expenditure on healthcare services and goods by Asians stood at US$90 billion. Today, it is estimated that it will more than double to $188 billion by 2013.

Malaysia, which has focused on markets in the Middle East and China, expects medical tourism to generate revenues of $650 million next year.

Thailand, another thriving healthcare centre, already treats more than 1 million foreign patients every year – and even tiny Singapore hopes to hit that target by 2012 and generate $3 billion in revenue in the process.

Most nursing graduates choose to work in private hospitals because of better pay and work conditions.

But there is one potential hiccup to this wonderfully rosy picture: Where will all the trained nurses and ancillary staff to look after this massive influx of patients come from?

Step forward Malaysia’s Masterskill University College of Health Sciences.

This organisation, which has several nursing college campuses, astutely spotted the boom in medical tourism and robustly stepped forward to provide training courses for medical staff and thus fill a seemingly ever expanding and lucrative market.

Thailand does not bite, are you sure?

Hun Sen's latest emotional outburst against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajive and Foreign Minister Kasit Pironya was not unexpected, it's just part of the political game he's playing, and there is no need for either Mr Abhisit and Mr Kasit to respond.

Just as it seemed last month’s unfortunate diplomatic row over deposed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was finally taking a back seat, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has seen fit to reopen the wound with comments that could provoke a new round of bickering.

Mr Hun Sen’s latest diatribe against Prime Minister Abhisit and Foreign Minister Kasit in his speech at a provincial ceremony on Monday, although not at all surprising for a man of his character, was totally undiplomatic, hostile and unbecoming of a government leader.

He was quoted to have said: “I am not the enemy of the Thai people…But the prime minister and foreign minister, these two people look down on Cambodia extremely…Cambodia will have no happiness as long as this group is in power in Thailand…”

Mr Hun Sen’s sudden burst of anger at Prime Minister Abhisit and Foreign Minister Kasit stemmed from the Thai government’s threat to suspend all economic aid to Cambodia in retaliation for Phnom Penh’s appointment of Thaksin as its economic adviser and its refusal to allow the fugitive politician's extradition to Thailand to face imprisonment.

The attitude

Bangkok Post PM shows his indifference to Hun Sen's comments

"I believe the problem has arisen because someone could be trying to instigate a situation," the prime minister said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has feigned indifference to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's clear animosity to his remaining in office.

Mr Abhisit said he was not aware of reports that Mr Hun Sen was not happy with him and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, and that the Cambodian government would not ask for their assistance.

"I believe the problem has arisen because someone could be trying to instigate a situation," the prime minister said.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who is in charge of security affairs, said the Thai-Cambodia situation had improved to some extent, but the government had to be strong and calm after being criticised by Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The government had to be very cautious about its ties with neighbouring countries, Mr Suthep said.

"Don't get stuck on Prime Minister Hun Sen's words. The government has been doing well so far and the problem will not spread to include other Asean member states," he said.

He repeated that the frontier with Cambodia will not be closed because the government cares about the people living along the border.

What is Hypertension?

Virtual Medical Centre
Hypertension is defined as elevated blood pressure and is the leading cause globally of death and disability. It is the major risk factor for heart attack and stroke, and is also a significant risk factor for for chronic kidney disease and chronic heart failure. Because individuals with hypertension usually don't have any symptoms, it is a disease that is often under-diagnosed. Diagnosis relies upon routine blood pressure screening to monitor and detect affected individuals.

In 2000, it was estimated that nearly one billion individuals worldwide were hypertensive. This figure equates to approximately 26.4% of the total global adult population.

The Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab) conducted in 1999–2000 reported that 30% of Australians (32% of males and 27% of females) over 25 years of age, or 3.7 million Australians, were hypertensive (blood pressure > 140/90 mmHg).

In general, males are more likely to have hypertension than females, except for between the ages of 45 and 64, when females are at equal risk to males.

The incidence of hypertension is three times higher in Indigenous Australians compared to non-indigenous Australians.

Approximately 95% of hypertension cases are classified as essential or primary hypertension, in which the underlying cause is unknown. The remaining cases are classified as secondary hypertension, in which there is an identifiable cause (e.g. renal artery stenosis).

Major studies have identified the following factors as key predisposing factors for hypertension:

•Prehypertensive systolic state (115–139 mmHg);

•Age-dependent increase in diastolic state;

•Female gender;

•Increasing BMI beyond a value of 25;

•Smoking; and

•Parenteral hypertension.

Factors that have been identified in the Australian 2008 National Heart Foundation Hypertension Guidelines include:

•Sedentary lifestyle;

•Smoking;

•Waist measurement > 94 cm in men and 80 cm in women, or BMI > 25;

•High dietary salt intake; and

•Alcohol consumption.