8 insurgents killed, 8 injured in Afghanistan

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KABUL, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Security forces have killed eight insurgents and injured eight more throughout the country over the last 24 hours, Afghan Interior Ministry said on Saturday.
"Afghan National Police (ANP) with the assistance of the national Army and Coalition forces launched 10 joint and independent operations over the past 24 hours in surrounding areas of the Kabul, Balkh, Khost, Logar, Farah, Helmand, Ghazni and Paktiya provinces," said a statement issued by Interior Ministry here.
"As a result of these operations, eight armed insurgents were killed, eight wounded and 21 others were arrested," the statement said, adding during these operations ANP discovered and seized large amount of light and heavy weapons.
Separately, ANP during separate operations around the country discovered and defused seven rounds of anti-vehicle mines and apprehended an explosive-laden motor bike besides seizing hundreds of weapons and ammunition in the same timeframe.
Afghan officials often use the word "insurgents referring Taliban.
However, Taliban insurgents have not made comments so far.
Taliban insurgents, whose regime was toppled in a U.S.-led incursion in late 2001, have intensified activities since the militant group announced to launch spring offensive against Afghan security forces and NATO-led troops stationed in Afghanistan on May 1.

U.S. senior defense official to visit Cambodia to boost ties

Report From:http://www.dap-news.com/en/

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Brigadier General Richard Simcock, Principal Director for South and Southeast Asia in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, will visit Cambodia on August 29-31 to boost Cambodia-U.S. defense relationship, according to a press release from the U.S. embassy in Phnom Penh on Friday.

During the visit, Simcock will have a series of meetings with the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense and representatives of the U.S. Embassy to discuss the growing U.S.-Cambodia bilateral defense relationship, it said.

Discussions will focus on opportunities for future cooperation in the areas of peacekeeping, maritime security, humanitarian assistance, defense reform and counter-terrorism.

During the trip, Simcock will underscore the Department of Defense's continued commitment to working with the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) to develop a professional force that contributes to regional and international peace and stability.

"The U.S. Department of Defense looks forward to assisting in building up the professional capacity of the RCAF while encouraging the RCAF to continue on a path of improved transparency and respect for human rights and the rule of law," stated Simcock in the press release.

He will also participate in a defense ministry's workshop in Sihanoukville to discuss the development of Cambodia's maritime security strategy.

In addition, he will visit sites that have benefitted from U.S.-Cambodian defense cooperation, e.g. the National Counter-Terrorism Special Force, Peacekeeping Training Center, and Maritime Security Operations Center.

Russia hopes pipeline through Korean Peninsula improves economy, political climate

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MOSCOW, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Russia hopes that a gas pipeline project from Russia to South Korea via the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) will bring both economical and political fruits for the Korean Peninsula, said Russian Deputy Energy Minister Anatoly Yanovsky on Thursday.
"Any infrastructure projects linking the two countries of the Korean Peninsula, including railroads, gas pipelines, or electric grids, will not only be economically efficient but also would work for normalization of their bilateral relations," Yanovsky told a news conference here.
Earlier this week, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he has reached an agreement with Kim Jong Il, the top DPRK leader, about building a gas pipeline from Russia to South Korea via the DPRK.
The 1,100-km pipeline will have a capacity of transporting 10 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Some 700 kilometers of the pipeline will be built on the DPRK territory, Russia's Energy News website reported.
Russia's Gazprom and South Korea's Kogas signed an agreement in June 2009 on the joint gas project. Seoul also proposed an alternative project envisaging gas transportation directly from the port of Vladivostok to South Korea by sea.

Russia hopes pipeline through Korean Peninsula improves economy, political climate

 Report From:
MOSCOW, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Russia hopes that a gas pipeline project from Russia to South Korea via the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) will bring both economical and political fruits for the Korean Peninsula, said Russian Deputy Energy Minister Anatoly Yanovsky on Thursday.
"Any infrastructure projects linking the two countries of the Korean Peninsula, including railroads, gas pipelines, or electric grids, will not only be economically efficient but also would work for normalization of their bilateral relations," Yanovsky told a news conference here.
Earlier this week, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he has reached an agreement with Kim Jong Il, the top DPRK leader, about building a gas pipeline from Russia to South Korea via the DPRK.
The 1,100-km pipeline will have a capacity of transporting 10 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Some 700 kilometers of the pipeline will be built on the DPRK territory, Russia's Energy News website reported.
Russia's Gazprom and South Korea's Kogas signed an agreement in June 2009 on the joint gas project. Seoul also proposed an alternative project envisaging gas transportation directly from the port of Vladivostok to South Korea by sea.

Condoleezza Rice to release new memoir in November

 Report From: http://www.dap-news.com/en/

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will release a new memoir in November to give "a vivid and forthright account" of her roles under the Bush administration, the publisher Crown said Thursday.
The new book, titled "No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington", is set to be published Nov. 1, the publisher said in a statement. It will provide insights on her former roles as National Security Adviser and later Secretary of State under President George W. Bush.
"(The book) reveals new details about the contentious debates in the lead-up to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq," Crown said. It also "reveals the behind-the-scenes maneuvers that kept the world's relationships with Iran, North Korea, and Libya from collapsing into chaos."
It will be the second memoir of Rice, who now teaches at Stanford University. Her first, "Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family", was published last October.

New CEO Tim Cook: Apple not to change

 Report From: http://www.dap-news.com/en/

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Apple's new chief executive officer (CEO) Tim Cook on Thursday sent a company-wide email, assuring employees that the technology giant is going to be the same under his leadership as it was under Steve Jobs, U.S. media reported.
Apple on Wednesday announced that Jobs has resigned as the company's CEO and its board has named Cook as the replacement, raising new concerns about Apple's future development.
"I want you to be confident that Apple is not going to change. I cherish and celebrate Apple's unique principles and values. Steve built a company and culture that is unlike any other in the world and we are going to stay true to that -- it is in our DNA," Cook wrote in the letter.
The letter was first published by technology news site Ars Technica and its authenticity has been verified by several news sources.
Cook, 50, once served in IBM and Compaq before he joined Apple in 1998. He was promoted to the chief operating officer in 2007 and has been de facto CEO responsible for most of Apple's day-to- day operations during Jobs' medical leaves.
Although Cook is different from the showman type that Jobs is, it is widely believed that he is the best and ideal candidate with whom Apple could use to replace the irreplaceable.
Analysts said the replacement will not affect Apple's business at least in short term, but it is unclear whether Apple's innovation and operational efficiencies will continue unabated.

Former Refugees Celebrate 60 Years of UN Convention

 Report From: http://www.voanews.com

The UN human rights agency held the 60^th anniversary of its convention of refugees in Washington this month, where delegations of former refugees, including Cambodians, and policymakers met to encourage governments to continue to shelter refugees worldwide.
The Refugee Congress included stories from those who fled their home countries and made good in their host nations, including Alejandro Mayorkas, director of the US Citizen and Immigration Services.
Mayorkas, who fled Cuba in 1960 with his parents and his sister, said at the congress he had seen “first hand the extraordinary work of UNHCR.” But Mayorkas said he was concerned with the US budget crisis, an increase in funds for refugee assistance was doubtful.
Also on hand was Alek Wek, a refugee from Sudan who is now a British super model and an activist for refugees

“We struggled throughout the civil war, which became worse and worse,” she told the congress. “People were disappearing, people were getting killed, and nobody would take responsibility for it.” There was, she said, “no law and no safety whatsoever; you are a prisoner in your own home.”
Fear continued to haunt her even after she fled Sudan, she said. She would have nightmares, waking in a sweat, only to realize that, “it is OK now, that nobody is going to attack you.”
“It didn’t go away straight away,” she said. “It took some time to finally realize that, you know, it is going to be my new home.”
Wek said her experiences taught her that refugees contribute to the societies that take them in. “They are doctors, lawyers, teachers, business owners, helping support businesses and existing projects for education or the arts,” she said. “It is just endless.”
Former refugees at the congress said they wanted to share in the freedoms they were given.
“It’s great to be here in the US,” said Basmt Ahmed, who fled the Darfur region of Sudan in 2009. “And it is great to have freedom and dignity. I have opportunities to practice many different things that I couldn’t practice back home. But the point is, there’s no place like home.”
He was expecting US citizenship soon, he said. But he didn’t want to be an American for its own sake, he said, “but to make a difference in my country.”
Former Cambodians at the congress said they too wanted to help new waves of refugees from other countries.
Tauch Sokhom, a former soldier of the Lon Nol regime, fled a marine base in today’s Preah Sihanouk province in 1975. He made it to Portland, Oregon, and was made a US citizen in 1982.
“When I first arrived in the US, I couldn’t help [any one],” he said. “I couldn’t speak English. I lost my way countless times on the buses in Portland. Now at my association, we have bus training for newly arrived refugees, so that they won’t lose their way like I did.”

Thousands of Homes Flooded in Northeast Provinces

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Flooding has inundated thousands of homes in northeast Cambodia, after heavy rains swelled the Mekong River, provincial officials said Friday.
As many as 5,000 homes have been flooded, while hundreds of disaster officials have been mobilized, even as the river’s level continues to rise.
Hardest hit are the provinces of Stung Treng and Kratie, where families have been evacuated and where roads and towns are flooded, though so far no deaths have been reported.
Stung Treng Governor Loy Sophat said 37 villages there have been affected, along with 40 kilometers of road and flooding in the provincial capital.
“We deployed more than 150 provincial police, military and military police, as well as road-crossing agents, to the flooded districts, to help evacuate villagers and transport their animals to safety,” he said. “In general, the water is still rising, and we are still concerned.”
Kratie Governor Kham Phoeun said about 4,000 homes were flooded, along with five pagodas, 26 schools and 5,000 hectares of rice fields across five provinces.
Chhoung Seang Hak, the provincial police chief, said people were still in their homes, despite the flooding. Some 500 police were on alert to help with the emergency. Landslides were also a worry, he said.
Chan Yutha, cabinet chief for the Ministry of Water Resources, said water level will recede in Stung Treng on Saturday, Kratie on Sunday, and Kampong Cham on Monday.

Aging Leaders To Have Tribunal Hearing on Health Issues

 Report From: http://www.voanews.com
Two jailed Khmer Rouge leaders are expected to appear before tribunal judges later this month, to discuss their health difficulties in the face of an impending atrocity crimes trial.
Nuon Chea, who is now 85 and was the chief ideologue of the regime, and Ieng Thirith, 79, the former social affairs minister, will go before the Trial Chamber.
Two other leaders, Khieu Samphan and Ieng Sary, will not appear, as they have not filed against upcoming hearings on account of health.
The trial of all four leaders, who are accused of atrocity crimes including genocide, is the tribunal’s second, its largest and most complex to date. A full trial is expected later this year

PM: It's a new era for Cambodia, Thailand Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2011/08/12/PM-Its-a-new-era-for-Cambodia-Thailand/UPI-44891313159341/#ixzz1UtUpBUu7

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BANGKOK, Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to discuss troop withdrawals from the area near the Preah Vihear temple, where clashes killed several people.
The agreement to meet is a sign relations between the neighboring countries are improving, the Bangkok Post reported Friday.
Commanders from Thailand's Second Army Region and Cambodia's Division 4 will lead the Regional Border Committee meeting, which is set for Aug. 23-24 in Nakhon Ratchasima province in Thailand.
"I declare a new era of cooperation between [the countries] now that Thailand is ruled by the Pheu Thai Party," Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said.
"What was going on in the last few years, which I considered nightmarish cooperation between the two countries, is now over. Now we have to start negotiations at a bilateral level in order to ease the tensions," Hun Sen said.
Hun Sen urged the two sides to set up a General Border Commission to settle disputes near the ancient temple, where border clashes earlier this year left several people dead.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2011/08/12/PM-Its-a-new-era-for-Cambodia-Thailand/UPI-44891313159341/#ixzz1UtUmfjLN

Third draft of Cambodia's associations and NGO law overlooks key concerns

 Report From: http://www.guardian.co.uk

New legislation threatens to hinder the delivery of development aid to Cambodia by curtailing fundamental rights

A Mith Samlanh education centre run by NGO Friends-International. A law requiring NGOs to register threatens such projects. Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Civil society groups in Cambodia finally received a glimpse of the third draft of the law on associations and non-governmental organisations (NGO law) on 29 July.
Cambodia's citizens had previously only been able to speculate on what the draft law might contain, and how it might ultimately be enforced. The international community and civil society in Cambodia have criticised previous versions of the law as having a restrictive effect on civil society, effectively weakening citizen accountability for poverty-focused efforts.
Co-operation between the Cambodian government and civil society has long been central to the country's evolution from a war-torn country to a peaceful, vibrant, developing one. While government and civil society organisations have often had different opinions, they have held constructive discussions and co-operated.
However, the latest draft of the NGO law puts this relationship at risk by severely restricting freedom of expression and potentially reducing the voice of many organisations that represent and protect the marginalised: farmers, labour unionists, land activists, students, sex workers, and the disabled.
From the perspective of civil society, the third draft of the NGO law has not changed significantly from the second and first draft. The NGO law still fails to respect fundamental rights, including freedom of association and freedom of expression. In its present form, the draft law will have a severe, negative impact on domestic NGOs and associations as well as foreign NGOs, and will dramatically hinder the delivery of development aid to Cambodia. The result: valuable public services will be curtailed, development at the community level will be stunted, and poverty and corruption will increase. Moreover, the draft law will affect government programs. Major concerns about the current draft include:
• Registration is mandatory and complex, rather than voluntary and simple.
• No safeguards to ensure that denials of registration or involuntary dissolutions are imposed objectively.
• The law does not include a period for an appeal process when a request for registration is denied.
• Key terms in the law are undefined, and many sections are vague.
Ambiguity as well as the complex registration process and reporting requirements will add to the burden of government agencies responsible for administering new regulations, especially the ministry of the interior and the ministry of foreign affairs and international co-operation.
Civil society groups understand the government's need for a legal framework to ensure the stability and security of the country, and to facilitate the effective delivery of development and humanitarian aid. However, such a framework also needs to give citizens the freedom to engage in law-abiding activities without undue restrictions or burdens. To improve the law, the government should:
• Eliminate mandatory registration except for domestic NGOs and associations that wish to take advantage of the benefits of registration.
• Allow the NGO and association registration process to "be truly accessible, with clear, speedy, apolitical, and corruption-free procedures".
• Clearly outline a transparent process for the evaluation of registration applications. Any government decision to deny registration should be in writing and take effect over a reasonable and manageable time frame. The appeal process should be explicit and quick. It should also coincide clearly with objective legal standards for the purposes of review.
• Exclude or simplify reporting procedures for small, provincial, community-based development organisations and alliances in articles 44, 46 and 48.
• Incorporate a glossary explanatory notes for every article in the draft.
Cambodia's past development success - social and economic - would never have happened if the opportunities to freely organise and express opinions had been curtailed. It is, therefore, not only in the best interest of Cambodia's citizens but also to the advantage of the national government to make registration optional for domestic NGOs and associations, to make it simple and to define terms. Successful development of societies worldwide goes hand in hand with increased openness.

Cambodia urged to promote human capital

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PHNOM PENH, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's recovery from the economic crisis provided an opportunity to re-evaluate and promote the human capital in order to secure the sustainable of economic growth and poverty reduction. In a statement released Friday, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Cambodia said one of the main elements constraining Cambodia's economic development, as outlined in the Cambodia Country Competitiveness report, has proven to be human capital. "Cambodia can no longer rely on an abundant supply of inexpensive skilled and semi-skilled workers to propel its economic development," it said. "The country's future will rely on a pool of skilled workers able to take part in the diversification and expansion of its current industrial base." "Planning for the future needs of Cambodia's economic and social development, however, needs to begin now, in both education and sectoral plans, to produce the quality and quantity of skills that will be needed," the statement added.
The Supreme National Economic Council and UNDP Cambodia jointly issued a report titled "Human Capital Implications of Future Economic Growth in Cambodia: Elements of a Suggested Roadmap" Friday. The report identifies weaknesses in the linkages between the country's future economic growth and the education and skill formation needs of the workforce, as well as opportunities to be seized in order to support human capital development. The report describes immediate, short-, medium-, and long-term policy options to improve Cambodia's human resource development and ensure the country's future competitiveness and poverty reduction efforts. "The continuing effort towards preparation and implementation of the Human Capital Development Roadmap will represent the ongoing commitment to ensure that human capital priorities are set forth and aligned with the country's development agenda for diversified, equitable and resilient growth," said UNDP Cambodia Country Director Elena Tischenko. "As Cambodia moves forward on its path of further development and economic diversification, the Human Capital Roadmap, and the momentum that it will hopefully create, will help prepare the workforce and educational capital to support this progress. The road-mapping and planning process will require a new level of coordination and cooperation across ministries, with research and academic institutions, civil society and the private sector, and with development partners," she added.