REAKSMEY KONGKEA

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA Pem Penh, 21, one of The University of Cambodia’s “Samdech Hun Sen-Handa National Scholarships 2007” students, spoke with The Southeast Asia Weekly on January 7, 2010, describing his hard learning to get a scholarship. Penh was born in 1989 in Kirivong district, Takeo province. He is the oldest of two sons in his family. Penh’s parents are farmers and living in Kirivong district, Takeo province. Penh is now studying International Relations (IR) at The University of Cambodia (UC) and is also studying Economics at the National University of Management in Phnom Penh. Penh studied at the Sok An Sobin High School in Kirivong district, Takeo province and earned a Baccalaureate in 2007. He applied to study International Relations at UC following the introduction of the “Samdech Hun Sen-Handa National Scholarships” in 2007. “I was happy that I passed the scholarship exams from The University of Cambodia and I have a chance to study IR at

The book on “Tasks of Spokespersons, Media Officers, and Communication Officers,” which was written by Cambodian veteran journalist Chhay Sophal with the financial support from Konrad Adenauer Foundation, was launched on January 5 and distributed freely to journalists groups and relevant officials of all royal government ministries, non-governmental organizations, and private companies in the Kingdom of Cambodia. The launching and free distribution of the book entitled was organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Club of Cambodian Journalists. Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information and spokesman to the Royal Government of Cambodia, said that the book is the first book written by a Khmer journalist in 2010. The Minister continued to say that the book is very important because it has clearly introduced the important roles of spokespersons, media officers, and communication officers in carrying out their daily duties and working with relevant government ministries, non-govern

By BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA The United States of America’s Congressman Eni Faleomavaega has told Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia that he will discuss with his congressmen about turning Cambodia's debt into social assistance for development projects in Cambodia in the future. Eni Faleomavaega and his two colleagues Congressmen Joseph Cao and Mike Honda raised this issue while paying a courtesy call on Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen in Phnom Penh on January 7. His Excellency Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minster of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, His Excellency Keat Chhon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, and Cham Prasidh, Senior Minister and Minister of Commerce also presented at the meeting. Eang Sophallet, Personal Assistant to Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, told reporters after the meeting that Mr. Eni Faleomavaega and the two U.S. congressmen have discussed the extension of trade relatio

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA Over 10,000 Cambodian government officials, teachers and student gathered in Phnom Penh on January 7 to mark the 31st Anniversary Celebration of Victory Day over Genocide and to remember those who were killed and died of starvation in the Khmer Rouge’s terror regime. The 31st Anniversary of Victory Day was organized by the Royal Government of Cambodia, and under the presidency of Samdech Chea Sim, President of the Senate, Samdech Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly, and Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The Senate President Samdech Chea Sim said that the gathering aimed to remember over two million Cambodian people’s souls and those who were killed and died of starvation during the former Khmer Rouge leaders in their rule of Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. “The 7th January Victory Day is an historical day that all Cambodian people from everywhere come to gather and meet to mark the day that liberated their lives from geno

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA The “It is not a Dream” Humanity Program was launched on January 13 in Phnom Penh to provide free services for Cambodian people to find their relatives lost during the wars. The launching ceremony of the program was organized by Metfone Company and Bayon Radio and Television. Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information, presided over the launching ceremony and praised the “It is not a Dream” program organized by Metfone and Bayon Radio and TV. He said this program is good because it will help Cambodian people as well as contribute to the development of communications and new technologies and the development of Cambodia. “I welcome and appreciate this initiative. I think that this program is very important to serve our Cambodian people both inside and outside of the country in order to find their relatives lost during the wars from 1970 to 1990s in Cambodia,” he said during opening remarks. “I hope that through this program, Cambodians will have a chance to find th

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA About ten countries that are members of the Southeast Asia Table Tennis Association (SEATTA) will attend the 16th Southeast Asian Junior Table Tennis Championship which will take place from June 3-8, 2010, at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The 16th Southeast Asian Junior Table Tennis Championship 2010 will be prepared and organized by the Cambodian Table Tennis Federation (CTTF), and supported by the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS). Rat Sokhorn, President of the Cambodian Table Tennis Federation (CTTF) and Cambodian Vovinam Federation (CVF), said that it marked the first time CTTF will organize the international table tennis championship in Cambodia. President Sokhorn said that the main objective of the international competition is to select the best table tennis player for the 16th Southeast Asia Junior Table Tennis Championship 2010, as well as to promote table tennis playing and exchanging playing experiences in Asia. “CT

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA One of The University of Cambodia’s “Samdech Hun Sen-Handa National Scholarships 2008” students, Soun Virak, 19, spoke with The Southeast Asia Weekly about his desire for the future after graduation. Soun Virak is the oldest brother with two sisters in the family and they are now living in Kampong Chhnang province, where he was born in 1991. His father is a colonel military commander working with the Artillery Unit in the Ministry of National Defense based in Kampong Chhnang province and his mother is a business woman living in Prey Khmer Village, Rolea Phoear district, Kampong Chhnang province. Soun Virak is now studying Economics at The University of Cambodia (UC) after he passed the UC scholarship exams in 2008 in Phnom Penh. Virak studied at the Bun Rany Hun Sen Rolea Phoear High School in Kampong Chhnang province and he earned a Baccalaureate in 2008. “I wish to thank Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Dr. Handa very much for offering me the scholars

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA The Ministry of Health has planned to conduct the “Vaccination Injection Campaign 2010” for children and women in early February to provide good health and safety. Due to the shortage of medicines and vaccines, the ministry plans to buy more medicines and vaccinations from abroad this year for treatment of Cambodian women and children. Dr. Sann Chan Thoeun, Director of the Preventive Medicines Department in the Ministry of Health, said his ministry plans to spend US$4 million to buy the medicines and vaccines for treatment, especially for mothers and babies in Cambodia this year. “Due to the recent increase of the children’s birth rate, Cambodia is now lacking medicines and vaccinations for treatment of women and children,” he said. “The ministry is now planning to buy from abroad for Cambodian women and children,” he said on January 12 in Phnom Penh during a workshop on a strategic plan for healthcare in 2010. Dr. Chan Thoeun continued to say that the medicine

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA The National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), in cooperation with the Cambodian National Mekong Committee (CNMC) and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), conducted a national workshop in Phnom Penh aiming to increase knowledge sharing on Disaster Risk Reduction Planning at provincial and district levels as well as exchange practices and experiences on the integration of disaster risk reduction planning process in Cambodia. A two day national workshop was held from January 12-13 under the sponsorship of the Flood Management and Mitigation Program (FMMP) of the Mekong River Commission Secretariat (MRCS) with funding from the European Commission for Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO). Peou Samy, Secretary General of the National Committee for Disaster Management, said that this initiative is part of the European Commission Humanitarian Aid department funding to the Mekong River Committee (MRC) Secretariat of over one million Euros since 2003 in

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA A total of 34 Cambodian football teams, including ten Cambodian premier leagues, four football clubs from companies and non-governmental organizations in Phnom Penh, and 20 other clubs from cities and provinces have attended the “4th Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s Football Cup 2010,” aiming to encourage playing football in Cambodia. The “4th Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s Football Cup 2010” competition began on January 7 and will end on March 6, 2010. The competition will take place in four provinces including Battambang, Siem Reap, Kep, and Svay Rieng. Ouk Sethy Cheat, Director of the National Sport Training Center in the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS) and General Secretary of the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC), said that the Football Cup 2010 was organized by the FFC and funded by KTC Company, KTH Company, Hello 015, 016 company, and SCA, and also supported by Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minster Sok An, Honorary President of FFC and Phno

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA About 150 different species of Brahman cattle were first displayed for the farmers at Ahrey Khsat village, Lvea Em district, Kandal province. The Brahman Cattle Show and Exhibition was held from January 7-9 and organized by the Cambodia Brahman Breeders’ Association (CBBA), a local association aiming to introduce the Brahman cattle growth and its meats for Cambodia’s markets. Srey Chanto, President of the Cambodia Brahman Breeders’ Association (CBBA), said that this event marked the first time his association organized the “Brahman Cattle Show and Exhibition” for people in Kandal province as well as in Cambodia in order to promote the Brahman cattle industry in the Kingdom of Cambodia. The purpose of the event is to celebrate the “Victory Day over Genocide.” It is also to promote the agricultural sector for cattle rearing, to motivate farmers raising cattle, share experiences, techniques and skills with farmers, and also to present the progress of cattle rearin

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA Pem Penh, 21, one of The University of Cambodia’s “Samdech Hun Sen-Handa National Scholarships 2007” students, spoke with The Southeast Asia Weekly on January 7, 2010, describing his hard learning to get a scholarship. Penh was born in 1989 in Kirivong district, Takeo province. He is the oldest of two sons in his family. Penh’s parents are farmers and living in Kirivong district, Takeo province. Penh is now studying International Relations (IR) at The University of Cambodia (UC) and is also studying Economics at the National University of Management in Phnom Penh. Penh studied at the Sok An Sobin High School in Kirivong district, Takeo province and earned a Baccalaureate in 2007. He applied to study International Relations at UC following the introduction of the “Samdech Hun Sen-Handa National Scholarships” in 2007. “I was happy that I passed the scholarship exams from The University of Cambodia and I have a chance to study IR at

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA The book on “Tasks of Spokespersons, Media Officers, and Communication Officers,” which was written by Cambodian veteran journalist Chhay Sophal with the financial support from Konrad Adenauer Foundation, was launched on January 5 and distributed freely to journalists groups and relevant officials of all royal government ministries, non-governmental organizations, and private companies in the Kingdom of Cambodia. The launching and free distribution of the book entitled was organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Club of Cambodian Journalists. Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information and spokesman to the Royal Government of Cambodia, said that the book is the first book written by a Khmer journalist in 2010. The Minister continued to say that the book is very important because it has clearly introduced the important roles of spokespersons, media officers, and communication officers in carrying out their daily

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA Over 10,000 Cambodian government officials, teachers and student gathered in Phnom Penh on January 7 to mark the 31st Anniversary Celebration of Victory Day over Genocide and to remember those who were killed and died of starvation in the Khmer Rouge’s terror regime. The 31st Anniversary of Victory Day was organized by the Royal Government of Cambodia, and under the presidency of Samdech Chea Sim, President of the Senate, Samdech Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly, and Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The Senate President Samdech Chea Sim said that the gathering aimed to remember over two million Cambodian people’s souls and those who were killed and died of starvation during the former Khmer Rouge leaders in their rule of Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. “The 7th January Victory Day is an historical day that all Cambodian people from everywhere come to gather and meet to mark the day that liberated their lives from geno