State of Emergency on Table Amid Pandemic
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R 3389 E MB U N SSUE I TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2020 Intelligent . In-depth . Independent www.phnompenhpost.com 4000 RIEL COURT OF APPEAL CASH INFUSION SET CCF SPINNING UPHOLDS VERDICT for kingdom’s DREAMS FOR OF EX-GOVERNOR FINANCIAL SECTOR DOWN-AND-OUT NATIONAL – page 5 BUSINESS – page 7 LIFESTYLE – PAGE 17 Covid-19 State of emergency on fears spark prison riot table amid pandemic in Thailand DOZENS of prisoners broke fur- Niem Chheng held on Tuesday to review the prime ministers. But this law Though he declined to re- off by the King, he said. niture and torched buildings legal draft after which it will is a special case, it is a pre- veal the content of the draft “I still think this is just a tool during a riot in a Thai jail on Sun- RIME Minister Hun be passed on Friday at the event to the Cabinet meet- law, the prime minister said it in our hand. When the situa- day sparked by fears of a corona- Sen, his deputy prime Council of Ministers meeting ing,” Hun Sen said. covers a number of measures, tion cannot be controlled by virus outbreak in the facility. ministers and legal before going through further The draft will be approved by for example, a curfew could the police and military, we During the violence some con- team will meet on Tues- procedures. the council of ministers, sent be imposed from 8pm to 5am can use the soldiers to con- victs escaped from the Buriram dayP to review the draft law on “I reiterate now that the law to the National Assembly and for a specific duration. trol the situation during the prison where more than 2,000 declaring a state of emergency, on the state of emergency will Senate for approval, and fi- All deputy prime ministers state of emergency. are held, the justice ministry as Covid-19 cases rose to 107 in definitely come, as I already an- nally signed by the King to put have seen the draft three “In other words, it is used said. Seven have been arrested. the Kingdom on Monday. nounced on March 24 that our into use, he said. He rejected times already, prepared by in the framework of martial Local media showed footage Speaking at a press con- legal team was preparing it. the suggestion of imposing a Kert Rith, the newly ap- law or martial regime,” Hun of black smoke billowing from ference after a parliament “Tomorrow, we usually “curfew” instead of enacting a pointed Minister of Justice. It Sen said, pleading with the the prison’s multiple blocks in meeting on Monday, Hun have inter-ministry meet- new law, saying that “a curfew would be used with immedi- the country’s northeast, and a Sen said the meeting will be ing or meeting with deputy is a part of this law”. ate effect after being signed CONTINUED – page 2 Corrections Department offi- cial said drones were deployed to investigate what weapons the prisoners were using. “There was a group of prison- ers trying to escape and were Ministry: creating chaos … which includ- ed burning down some facili- ties inside,” said Corrections Virus test Department director-general Narat Sawetana. He added later that six pris- machine oners had been injured in the melee by broken glass. More than 1,500 prisoners had to be evacuated before the rioting unreliable could be stopped. Minister of Justice Somsak Thepsutin confirmed that a Ry Sochan group of inmates sentenced to life had started “agitating” THE Ministry of Health warned other prisoners with rumours on Monday that the online of a virus outbreak. promotion and sale of rapid “The fact is that none of the testing machines for Covid-19 prisoners in Buriram were are endangering public health infected – they only started even as the government is this rumour to find some sup- fighting the growing pandem- porters,” the minister said, ic in the Kingdom. adding that the cafeteria and Speaking at a press confer- visiting areas were among the ence at the Council of Ministers, facilities torched. its spokesperson Or Vandine Mental health workers were said: “According to the World later deployed to assuage pris- Health Organisation [WHO] oners “after some rumours studies and evaluation, those were spread” about a Covid-19 machines are of very poor qual- outbreak, Major General Akka- ity. [They] show poor results and radej Pimonsri said. “The situ- are unreliable. This is a point. ation is under control.” “Another point is that those Thailand has recorded 1,524 who are positive for Covid-19 cases of the coronavirus, have been tested negative including seven deaths. when using such machines, At least two prisoners in the while those who are tested country have caught the virus. negative when using the In a bid to prevent outbreaks machines have been proven to Decision pending in jails, authorities have banned Inmates at Prey Sar prison in Phnom Penh. The Ministry of Justice has asked 155 prisoners to submit requests to the visitors and are quarantining CONTINUED – page 4 government to ask if their sentences can be commuted or pardoned before Khmer New Year in April. HENG CHIVOAN STORY > 2 new inmates for 14 days. AFP THE PHNOM PENH POST Hun Sen orders suspension of National News white rice and paddy exports Inside page 2 2 THE PHNOM PENH POST MARCH 31, 2020 WWW.phnompenhpost.COM National PM orders suspension of white rice, paddy exports Hin Pisei PRIME Minister Hun Sen on Monday ordered the suspen- sion of white rice and paddy exports from Cambodia from 11:59pm on April 5, on the grounds of securing domestic supplies while Covid-19 is con- tinuing to spread in Cambodia. Speaking at a press confer- ence following the extraordi- nary parliamentary session on a vote of confidence in the Cabinet appointments and reshuffles, he said the intro- Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the suspension of white rice and paddy exports from Cambodia from 11:59pm on April 5. HONG MENEA duction of a preventive strat- egy is important during an those who had previously Last year, Cambodian rice emergency, while Covid-19 is sold it to traders in neigh- exports to the international spreading in many countries, bouring countries. market were worth about $501 including Cambodia. He said: “Let the rice millers million – down 4.3 per cent He said the decision to sus- buy paddy from those who from $524 million in 2018, a Last week, 399 prisoners requested a sentence reduction or pardon. HONG MENEA pend paddy and white rice are harvesting and need to CRF report said. exports would ensure better sell it, and buy all the paddy Representing CRF, Sokheang paddy stockpiles. to maintain good prices, and also called on the ministry to “I am ordering the suspen- avoid lower prices while there increase additional funding sion of white rice and paddy are no traders from Thailand so that rice buyers and rice Inmates seek amnesty exports but allowing the export and Vietnam.” millers can buy more paddy of fragrant rice, with effect from Cambodian Rice Federa- to stock up. April 5 onwards,” he said. tion (CRF) vice-president Ministry of Agriculture, For- He stressed that the export Chan Sokheang told The Post estry and Fisheries data, ob- ahead of the New Year suspension would apply only on Monday that the govern- tained by The Post on Monday, to white rice and paddy, which ment’s measures to suspend shows that Cambodia exported is in high demand in the do- exports of white rice and 214,612 tonnes of rice to inter- Voun Dara New Year in April. older prisoners, and senior mestic market. Fragrance rice, paddy would help Cambodia national markets this year as of “After meeting to review the prisoners with a chronic ill- which has less local demand maintain a strong stockpile. March 25. HE National Com- 399 prisoners’ request, it was ness or disability. will be exported as normal. This, he said, is especially China accounted for 94,060 mission for Review decided to forward a request “Therefore, we carefully “We have to keep food in our so under the circumstances tonnes, EU (62,998 tonnes), and Evaluation of the to the head of the govern- studied the number of prison- country, and this food . I am when many countries around Asean countries (27,937 Ministry of Justice ment to review and submit to ers who are seeking relief and not referring to cassava, po- the world were facing prob- tonnes), and other destina- Thas asked 155 prisoners to his majesty the King to grant amnesty. The National Com- tatoes, corn or soybeans, but lems stemming from the tions (29,617 tonnes). Paddy submit requests to the gov- sentence reductions to a total mission has already made as- to rice only, and by ‘rice’ we’re spread of Covid-19. exports to Vietnam account- ernment to ask if their sen- of 155 prisoners.” he said. sessments and is waiting for refering to milked white rice “The CRF would like to sup- ed for 836,692 tonnes. tences can be commuted or Of the 155 prisoners who documentation which may and paddy. port the government’s mea- Last year, rice exported to in- pardoned before Khmer New had requested amnesty, 45 be completed next week.” “But our fragrant rice is con- sures to strengthen domestic ternational markets reached Year in April. of their sentences could be Santepheap said. tracted for export in smaller paddy stockpiles and prevent 620,106 tonnes, down 0.97 per Ministry secretary of state reduced by six months, 35 During last year’s Khmer quantities to the EU and some any shortfall,” he said.