Gov't Launches Essential Goods Digital Platform
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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021 Intelligent . In-depth . Independent Issue Number 3647 / 4000 RIEL Junta attacks Gov’t launches essential displace 250K in Myanmar: UN rapporteur goods digital platform THE Myanmar military’s crack- down on anti-coup protesters has Thou Vireak displaced close to a quarter of a mil- lion people, a UN rights envoy said HE Ministry of Com- on April 21. merce on April 21 The junta has stepped up its use of launched an online lethal force to quash mass demon- marketplace with strations against a February 1 coup virtualT booths to sell essen- which ousted civilian leader Aung tial groceries to people dur- San Suu Kyi. ing the ongoing coronavirus At least 738 people have been killed lockdown in Phnom Penh and 3,300 are languishing in jails as and adjacent Takhmao town political prisoners, according to a in Kandal province. local monitoring group. In an April 21 press release, “Horrified to learn that … the the ministry invited the pub- junta’s attacks have already left lic to visit the platform at nearly a quarter [of a] million Myan- shop.moc.gov.kh and listed mar people displaced, according to five telephone numbers to sources,” UN Special Rapporteur on reach for assistance in mar- the situation of human rights in keting or ordering. Myanmar Tom Andrews tweeted on “After we get the order, the April 21. team will arrange for deliv- “The world must act immediately ery to doorsteps,” the min- to address this humanitarian catas- istry said. trophe.” The announcement came More than 2,000 Karen people have a day after secretary of state now crossed Myanmar’s border into Seang Thay led a ZOOM Thailand and thousands more have meeting with representa- been internally displaced, said Padoh tives of seven supermarkets Mann Mann, a spokesperson for bri- – Aeon Mall, Makro, Lucky, gade five of the Karen National Union Bayon, Supper Store, Chip (KNU), a rebel group active in Myan- Mong and Bio Mart. mar’s mountainous eastern border Thay asked the owners of regions. the supermarkets to work “They all hide in the jungle nearby with the ministry and up- their villages,” he said. load their goods to the web- In an April 21 press release, the ministry invited the public to visit the platform at shop.moc.gov.kh and listed five telephone numbers to Free Burma Rangers, a Christian site, as well as deliver orders reach for assistance in marketing or ordering. SUPPLIES aid group, estimated at least 24,000 to those in areas designated people were displaced in Karen state as “Red Zones” and other re- products on its Facebook platform Smile Shop, wel- he said, adding that Smile The ministry has dis- amid mortar ground attacks and air- stricted locations. page to make it easier for comed the ministry’s move, Shop has been actively as- patched five trucks to Red strikes earlier in the month. This, he said, would pre- people in Red Zones to place noting the rising demand for sisting the government in Zones and set up a number He said many of the thousands vent the risk of spreading orders, he said. the goods in Red Zones. delivering goods to meet of booths there to distribute displaced were subsistence rice Covid-19 and lend a hand in The representatives asked He told The Post on April the needs of the people dur- essential goods to the peo- farmers and would experience stabilising prices in the food the ministry to make it eas- 21: “We request the Ministry ing the lockdown. ple in the areas at below- future food shortages if they are market in the meantime. ier for staff to travel in and of Commerce to issue new “I am also ready to coop- market prices, including unable to safely return home to tend “We would like to thank out of restricted areas, and guidelines on how delivery erate with the farmers who milled rice, noodles, pure to their paddies. and express appreciation to to move products into the teams and mobile markets grow vegetables, fish and drinking water, canned fish, “You’re looking at a six-month all the supermarket owners capital from the provinces are to reach the people dur- meat near Phnom Penh and fish sauce and soy sauce. problem of no food,” he said, adding who’ve been pitching in and and abroad to meet local ing this time. punctually bring their prod- The technical support that some people were sleeping in keeping prices stable, de- demand, according to the “We need to maintain ucts to all blocked-off areas. team for the ministry’s new caves or under banana trees. spite these difficult times,” ministry. hygiene principles to pre- We’ve joined hands with the platform can be reached at Locals looking after the displaced Thay said. Mak Chamroeun, co- vent the spread of Covid- government to keep prices 012-767-043, 089-355-696, people in some parts of Kachin state The ministry will also founder of local business-to- 19, which is something we as low as possible for every- 069-524-499, 015-805-313 are worried about an upcoming showcase the platform’s consumer (B2C) e-commerce need to work on together,” one,” he said. and 017-855-011. shortage of food supplies. AFP Residents applaud lockdown aid initiative Mom Kunthear the lockdown. sistance to her village on April 20, but grocery assistance,” she said. locked down in the first phase. The government was initially pro- she rejected it because she and many She said that now that people un- “I also supported the people who PHNOM Penh residents and analysts viding 300,000 riel ($75) payments to other people in the village expected a derstood the matter clearly because rejected the food offer yesterday welcomed the government’s shift from those affected, but now instead they 300,000 riel payment like Prime Minis- Hun Sen clarified things on April 20 when it came without money, be- financial support to groceries for poor are providing an increased amount of ter Hun Sen had announced recently. they would be happy to receive the cause Samdech hadn’t mentioned people in the lockdown area of Phnom food assistance such as rice, canned “We didn’t accept the assistance offer of food assistance. the shift from cash to food assis- Penh and Takmao after confusion. fish, noodles and soy sauce. because Samdech Hun Sen just an- Another resident of Meanchey district tance earlier,” he said. Prime Minister Hun Sen made a A resident of Sen Sok district said nounced that the government would who requested anonimity said he had But now he says he would change on April 20 to the govern- on the condition of anonymity that give 300,000 riel. If we had known this not received any food aid as of April 21, ment support programme during the authorities had brought food as- earlier, we would have accepted the a total of 10 days since his district was CONTINUED – pagE 4 THE PHNOM PENH POST Around 400 journalists receive National travel permits during lockdown Inside page 3 2 THE PHNOM PENH POST APRIL 22, 2021 WWW.phnompenhpost.COM National 5.5 M doses Cambodia continues diplomatic of Covid jab from China efforts to assist migrant workers due in April to August Voun Dara AS OF April 20, Cambodia had inoculated a total of 1,277,688 people against Covid-19, in- cluding civil servants, gov- ernment officials, members of the armed forces and their families, the general public and foreigners, in a vaccina- tion drive administered by the ministries of Health and National Defence. The health ministry said it had vaccinated 983,145 civil- ians, while the defence min- istry had inoculated 294,543 members of the armed forces. The nationwide Covid-19 vaccination commission has informed individuals due to get vaccinated with second doses during the lockdown that the Sinovac and Sinop- harm vaccines will be admin- istered from April 20 to May 3 in Phnom Penh and in Kandal province’s Takmao town. The defence ministry noti- fied members of the armed forces that their family mem- bers who are due to receive their second doses must receive them in their home districts within Phnom Penh Migrants return from Thailand through the O’Smach International Border Checkpoint in Oddar Meanchey province in December. via Facebook and Takmao and will not be allowed to cross districts Nov Sivutha countries workers in Asia,” said well-being of migrant workers. bilateral and multilateral, technical skills and soft skills, to be vaccinated elsewhere Minister of Labour and Voca- At the transferring ceremony ASEAN, regional and global which would provide a foun- during the lockdown. CAMBODIA will continue to tional Training Ith Sam Heng. of the Colombo Process Presi- frameworks to ensure protec- dation for them to build on The decision was made af- actively participate in the im- The mechanism was estab- dency organized by Nepal via tion for migrant workers. for the future when they re- ter a meeting with senior of- plementation of the Colombo lished in Colombo, Sri Lanka video conference on April According to Sam Heng, mi- turn to Cambodia. ficials of the defence ministry Process to promote the rights in 2003 and aims to provide a 20, Sam Heng stated that the grant workers contribute to To date, the Colombo Pro- was held on April 19. and protect the interests of forum for sending countries mechanism had assisted Cam- Cambodia’s national economic cess has a total of 12 mem- Prime Minister Hun Sen also migrant workers during and in Asia to share their hands- bodia in protecting the interests growth by sending more than ber countries -- Afghanistan, said that half a million doses after the Covid-19 crisis.