N U MB E R 3382 ssue I

Friday, march 20, 2020 Intelligent . In-depth . Independent www.phnompenhpost.com 4000 RIEL Infections spread in Kingdom

Niem Chheng ed the virus from their husbands who In Phnom Penh, a 34-year-old man Meanwhile, effective from 12am Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Inter- attended the gathering. They are be- from Kampot province who volun- on Friday, Cambodia will temporally national Cooperation sent a letter to HE Ministry of Health on ing treated at the provincial hospital. teered to do religious work at a mosque close the border with Vietnam to stop the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Thursday confirmed 10 more The 35-year-old has four daugh- in the capital’s Chhbar Ampov I com- the movement of people in light of Penh to inform it of the decision. cases of coronavirus infec- ters while the other woman has two mune tested positive. He too had re- the rapid growth of Covid-19 infec- On Wednesday, Vietnam suspend- tions bringing the latest tally daughters and a son. The ministry has cently returned from the gathering tions in Cambodia and the region. ed the issuance of visas to all for- toT 47. Almost all are confirmed to be sent the children’s samples, and that of and is being treated at the Chak Angre Prime Minister Hun Sen said on eigners for the next 30 days. Those connected to a Muslim religious the 45-year-old woman’s mother-in- Krom hospital in Phnom Penh. Thursday that the travel ban also who enter the country must now be gathering in Malaysia which has law with whom she lives, for testing. In Kampong Cham province, six Ma- followed a recent decision by Viet- put in quarantine. It said those from become the epicentre for infections In Kandal province, a 60-year-old laysians aged 26 to 62 also contracted nam to ban the movement of people the US, EU and Asean countries will in that country. man tested positive and is being the virus. All of them are preaching across its shared border with Cam- be quarantined in places reserved Two of the 10 are women aged 35 treated at the provincial hospital. He Islam in the province’s Kangmeas dis- bodia for the same reasons. specifically for this purpose. and 45 from Ratanak commune in was among the 79 people previously trict. However, the ministry did not The Cambodian decision was an- The same day, Hun Sen said the day Battambang provincial town. The reported to have returned from the say if they too had attended the Mus- nounced by Hun Sen in a Facebook ministry said both victims contract- same gathering in Malaysia. lim gathering in Malaysia. post on Wednesday. On Thursday, the Continued – page 3 China: Wrong to have rapped Wuhan doctor

POLICE in China’s virus-hit dead because he was “very Wuhan City acted “inappro- young”, CCTV said. priately” by punishing a State media said Li’s col- doctor who blew the whistle leagues told investigators, on the novel coronavirus “as long as there was a bit of outbreak that has now killed hope we were unwilling to nearly 9,000 worldwide, a give up, at the time there Chinese government probe were no other factors”. found on Thursday. The central government Li Wenliang, one of a investigators suggested that group of doctors in Wuhan Wuhan authorities “super- who shared posts on social vise and rectify the matter”, media warning of a Sars- and urged local police to like virus spreading in the revoke the disciplinary state- city in December, was rep- ment issued to Li, according rimanded by police for to CCTV. sharing the information Wuhan police later issued and made to sign a state- a statement saying that giv- ment agreeing not to com- ing Li a disciplinary state- mit any more “law-break- ment had been “wrong” ing actions”. and they “apologise to his Li’s death from the virus family for the mistake”. in February prompted a The deputy director of national outpouring of grief the Zhongnan Road police Shuttered as well as anger at the gov- station was given a “demer- The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts said on Thursday that 10 major museums have been instructed to close temporarily in line with the government’s efforts to reduce areas with large concentrations of people to contain Covid-19. HONG MENEA sTORY > 3 ernment’s handling of the it” on his record and the crisis, and bold demands officer on duty was handed for freedom of speech. an “administrative warn- A central government ing”, it added. investigation initiated after Li’s death had been Li’s death found that Wuhan reported by state media. Man sent to court for trying to kill ex police “acted inappropri- The Wuhan Central Hospi- ately by issuing a discipli- tal confirmed Li’s death Khouth Sophak Chakrya chief Sam Tola told The Post on The victim, who was alone in pect was then able to get hold nary letter” and took “irreg- hours later, after saying he Thursday that Chork Poeurn, the house, refused to open the of her and started pulling her ular law enforcement was undergoing emergency THE Kandal Provincial Court 36, from Kampong Svay com- door. Using a machete that he towards the house. procedures,” state broad- treatment. on Wednesday sent a man to mune, was arrested on March carried with him at all times, As she was being dragged to caster CCTV reported on China reported zero the provincial prison for 15 in his rented room in Kam- the suspect broke the door the house against her will, the Thursday. domestic Covid-19 infections attempting to kill his former pong Samnah commune. down and entered the house. woman saw some police offic- The investigators also for the first time on Thursday, girlfriend last month. He had According to the victim, on the Gripped by fear, the woman ers standing outside and found that Li’s colleagues even as nations across the allegedly committed the crime day of the incident, the suspect ran out of the house through screamed for help. The sus- had repeatedly attempted world have shut down in a on February 9, but was at large went to her house at midnight the back door but tripped and pect then raised his machete to resuscitate the 34-year- desperate effort to contain until recently. and begged her to open the door fell to the ground after running old before he was declared the pandemic. AFP Kandal deputy military police and let him stay overnight. for about 200 metres. The sus- Continued – page 2

Don’t miss our The Kingdom’s rice Special Report bowl stays at half full Inside page 8-9 2 THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com National Sellers of fake anti-virus kits to be prosecuted

Voun Dara They said some sellers have imported and sold lots of fake THE Ministry of Health and products without logos and the Ministry of Commerce’s without knowing their origi- Cambodia Import-Export In- nal source. spection and Fraud Repression Most of the alcohol prod- Directorate-General (Camcon- ucts that are being traded in trol) announced they would the marketplace do not con- take legal action against sell- tain proper ingredients. The ers and pharmacists who sold mixtures in some cases are products such as hand sanitis- watered down or excessively ers containing “fake alcohol”. mixed, weakening the product In a joint statement, they said or even rendering it useless when such products are sold, against the disease, they said. the public is cheated of their The statement said the Min- ability to protect themselves in istry of Health has instructed light of the growing Covid-19 pharmacists to check their threat in the Kingdom. products and manage their They said some pharmacies businesses professionally and in the Kingdom were selling appropriately. such products without know- “They have to follow the Theng Panha Thon said the government prepared beforehand a portion of the budget to be used in the event of a rise in the number of coronavirus ing the source or quality of law. All pharmacists must buy cases in the Kingdom. heng chivoan the products. alcohol from reliable sources, The appropriate alcohol with invoices included. This content in products that kill will make it easier for ministry the virus while being applied, to investigate if the products they said, was essential to stop are mixed properly, diluted National development plan the spread of the disease. or contain fake alcohol and Not ensuring such stan- where they are coming from. dards are met in the products “If the ministry finds that or passing off fake products owners of pharmacies do not hampered by coronavirus as genuine would be pun- put this into practice, we will ished, they said. take strict legal action,” it said. Long Kimmarita “The government prepared for moving to phase two. around 150 officials to revise “Alcoholic mixtures used for Camcontrol urged citizens beforehand a portion of the The ministry’s National Sta- the statistics and register rel- killing the virus must contain not to buy products without GOVERNMENT budget to be used in the event tistics Institute director, Hang evant code numbers, and an- ethanol and water. They must a logo, and check where pos- delegate in charge of a rise in the number of coro- Lina, said the Covid-19 prob- other 150 officials will transfer also state the correct amount sible that the products were of the Directorate navirus cases in the Kingdom. lem had also affected the na- the data to computers. of ethanol in the product on from reliable sources. General of Plan- This has now happened. tionwide census. “So, in computerising the the front logo. It said all products should ning,A Theng Panhathorn, said “Therefore, this portion of the “As issues around the virus data of more than three mil- “Other substances are not have logos and the percent- the spread of Covid-19 in the budget has now been allocated began to emerge, some vol- lion families, officials will needed, especially methanol. age of ethanol must be written Kingdom will affect its Na- to Samdech Techo’s [Prime unteer officials and students have to revise data on 6,500 Methanol is not useful for properly. These measures are vi- tional Strategic Development Minister Hun Sen’s] phase two stopped coming to work. The families a month in order to killing the virus. If people do tal in the fight against Covid-19. Plan because of budget re- plan and been assigned to as- ministry also took days off from fully review our findings. not get the right mixture with “The authorities will arrest allocations and delays in col- sist in combating the virus. work, so it has affected the col- “We hope to end this cen- the correct amount of alco- sellers who sell fake alcohol lecting national census data. “This has meant that our lection of data,” she said. sus work in April, in line with hol, it puts lives in danger,” products as described above,” The announcement was efforts and our budget have “Consequently, some work the plan. If that is achieved their statement said. said Camcontrol. made at a press conference been diverted towards Covid- has not been carried out ac- then we should be able to an- entitled Progress and setting 19 and away from our devel- cording to plan. We will have nounce the census results in of goals of the Ministry of opment strategy,” he said. to investigate what has been July,” she said. Planning held by the Govern- Panhathorn said for the missed and revise it,” she said. However, Lina also admit- ment Spokespersons Unit at first phase, the government She said regarding the cen- ted that if the Covid-19 issue the Council of Ministers. Also had ordered the Ministry of sus, the ministry had collect- persists, then it will force fur- present at the press confer- Economy and Finance to ed data from more than 3.3 ther delays to the work and ence was a ministry official in begin reallocation of govern- million families thus far. the presentation of final cen- charge of statistics. ment budgets in preparation “The ministry has sent sus results.

The accused caused serious injuries to his ex-girlfriend. police ‘Attempted murder was due to jealousy’ Continued from page 1 events, the suspect was spotted by police officers and arrested. intending to slit her throat. She “The suspect confessed to used her hands to stop the the crime and said did it blow, causing injuries to four of because he was angry and jeal- her fingers. ous. The victim had recently “Unfortunately, she received broken up with him and had a blow to her right arm. She begun a relationship with also sustained injuries to her someone else,” he said. backbone and collar bones. After questioning by the The suspect then ran away and police on Wednesday, the disappeared,” Tola said. suspect was sent to Kandal He managed to escape provincial court and charged because the police officers with attempted murder. The went to the women’s aid as she court ordered that the sus- was bleeding and rushed her pect be sent to provincial to a hospital. prison for temporary deten- More than a month after the tion before the hearing. THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 3 National Vietnamese told to leave in 48 hours Continued from page 1

Vietnam closed its border, 300 Viet- namese entered the Kingdom. Cambo- dia is giving these Vietnamese citizens 48 hours to leave the country before they become illegal immigrants. “This is the problem. This is not revenge or rude behaviour on our part,” Hun Sen said in an audio message to his ministers. He told Cambodian border officials to cooperate with Vietnamese authori- ties to ensure the safe return of Cam- bodian nationals. The ban, he said, applies only to the movement of people. The exchange of goods across the border is unaffected, Hun Sen stressed. In its letter to the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh, the ministry said: “Entry by Vietnamese nationals into Cambodia and Cambodian nationals into Vietnam by land or waterway is temporarily sus- pended effective March 20, at 11:59pm. “The goal of this measure is to avoid quarantines for both Vietnamese and Cambodian nationals who travel be- tween the countries,” it said. The let- ter said the measure does not apply to diplomatic passport holders. On Thursday, Minister of Interior Sar Kheng instructed all provincial gover- nors, the National Police chief, and the director-general of immigration to ban the movement of people across the border following Vietnam’s ban. “The authorities along the borders must inform Vietnam of the measure and ensure it understands why it is being enforced. Now is the time to A bird’s-eye view strengthen cooperation to stop the An elevated view of Wat Phnom, the only hill in town and the pagoda from which the capital takes its name. HONG MENEA spread of Covid-19,” Sar Kheng said. Trade to continue as normal Museums across

May Kunmakara Kingdom closed

LTHOUGH controls Soth Koemsoeun over the world right now. have been tight- “The focus is on the protec- ened due to the new MINISTRY of Culture and Fine tion of tourists and citizens. We coronavirus, trade Arts spokesman Long Bunna have to take measures to pro- betweenA Cambodia and Sireyvath said on Thursday that tect against the coronavirus Vietnam continues, with the 10 major museums have been because it is extremely danger- countries aiming to achieve instructed to close temporarily ous. Leaving these centres and $5 billion in trade by the end in line with the government’s museums open would be a of the year, a Vietnamese of- efforts to reduce areas with huge risk due to the constant ficial has confirmed. large concentrations of people flow of tourists,” he said. An official at the Vietnam- to contain Covid-19. Cambodia Tourism Associa- ese Embassy in Phnom Penh, He said the museums, which tion (CTA) president Chanda Kle who asked to remain anony- contained a range of historical supported the move saying it mous, told The Post that Viet- documents, artefacts, and war was necessary to stop the spread nam has restricted the move- exhibits, were shut along with of Covid-19. She urged lower- ment of people across the a number of smaller museums level officials in charge of the border with Cambodia to stop across several provinces. museums to respect and imple- the spread of the novel coro- The 10 large museums, he ment the recommendations. navirus, but trade between said, were among the coun- “Museum closures always the nations continues. tries most active, and attracted affect the state and its people. He said: “When it comes to national and international While they’re closed, the state trade, it is business as usual. visitors on a daily basis. and the tourism sectors will Vietnamese and Cambodian “We closed 10 major museums not generate any income while officials will work together to on Wednesday. Museums in the tourist guides will not gen- make sure all these measures some provinces such as in Bat- erate any income either. are implemented efficiently. tambang, Kampong Thom and “However the protection of “However, a drop in trade Vietnam temporarily banned the movement of people across its shared border with Cambodia. HENG CHIVOAN Siem Reap were also closed. the people is paramount, so volume cannot be avoided “The closure will affect busi- the measures are unfortunate because the pandemic is go- ambassador also said foreign- Wednesday issued a state- Heng said the measures by ness and tourism, but more but necessary,” she said. ing to affect economic activ- ers are not allowed to enter ment requesting the Vietnam- the Vietnamese government importantly it will help to stop the A press release issued by the ity at a global level. Vietnam during the next 30 ese government to implement will have a significant impact Covid-19 infections,” he said. Ministry of Culture and Fine “To combat the effect on days. The ban does not apply stricter travel restrictions for on the tourism sector. “Trade Apsara National Authority Arts on Wednesday said: “To the economy by the virus, to diplomats. Vietnamese while leaving the won’t be significantly affected. (ANA) spokesman Long Kosal the directors of the Depart- Vietnam has prepared a trade He said mandatory quar- border open for the exchange The most significant impact said on Thursday that Preah ments of Culture and Fine Arts promotion plan to recover ec- antine at designated facilities of goods. will be on the tourism sector.” Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor, in the capital and provinces, onomically as soon as Covid- has been expanded to include “Cambodia proposes that Leaders of the two coun- Lortany, and the Asian Tradi- the public, Travel Guide Asso- 19 subsides. Trade between entrants from the US, the EU the two countries work to- tries have pledged to achieve tional Textiles Museum were also ciations, travel agencies, travel the two nations will recover and Asean countries. gether to facilitate and ensure $5 billion in trade a year by closed to tourists on Wednesday companies, national and inter- soon.” Minh said the measures that the transport of goods the end of the year. until further notice. national tourists, please note In a Facebook post on aim to curb the spread of across the common border Data from the Vietnam Em- “The decision to reopen that the Angkor National Muse- Wednesday, Vietnamese Am- Covid-19. can be carried out without bassy said last year’s trade depends entirely on the Covid- um in Siem Reap and museums bassador Minh Quang Vu The Cambodian Ministry disruption,” the letter said. reached $4.7 billion, an in- 19 situation. When museums and historical sites across the said stricter checks are being of Foreign Affairs and In- Cambodia Chamber of crease of 23.8 per cent from close, it has an impact. But the country will be closed effective carried out at the border. The ternational Cooperation on Commerce vice-president Lim 2017. same impacts are being felt all from March 18.” 4 THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com National WWF: No dam is Traffic law changes in force the right decision Voun Dara Ry Sochan The ministry’s director- HE government has general of energy and spokes- amended the Road THE World Wide Fund for Na- man, Victor Jona told The Post Traffic Law and up- ture (WWF) has applauded on Thursday that the govern- dated the fines for all the government’s decision ment has no plans to develop roadT violations. not to develop a hydropower a hydropower dam on the A sub-decree released on dam on the Mekong River af- Mekong River mainstream Tuesday said the fine for mo- ter confirmation came from within the next 10 years from torcycle or tuk-tuk drivers and the Ministry of Mines and En- 2020-2030. motorbike riders who fail to ergy on Thursday. When asked if the dam wear helmets or wear them The ministry statement, would be developed in the incorrectly is 60,000 riel ($15). sent to the WWF and ob- future he said: “It depends on Other violations of the Road tained by The Post on Thurs- the need.” Traffic Law regarding mo- day said there were no plans Marc Goichot, WWF fresh- torcycle and tuk-tuk drivers to build hydropower dams in water lead in the Asia Pacific – including parking in places the main body of the Mekong said in the statement that this forbidden by the law, carrying River in its newly approved is the best possible news for the too many passengers, driving 10-year Energy Master Plan sustainable future of the tens up to 19km/h over the speed 2020-2030. of millions of residents who limit, or ignoring traffic signs In a statement, WWF Cam- would have been affected. are levied a 15,000 riel fine. bodia country director Teak “This is crucial for the spec- Drivers who score over a Seng said: “Maintaining a tacular biodiversity relying certain limit when perform- free-flowing lower Mekong on the river, particularly the ing an alcohol test will be in Cambodia is the best deci- Irrawaddy river dolphins, charged 250,000-800,000 riel sion for both its people and whose highest population is and won’t be allowed to con- nature. WWF commends the recorded in the area. tinue their journey. Cambodian government for “Science clearly shows that Moreover, drivers of light ve- ruling out hydropower dam dams would significantly re- hicles and heavy vehicles are development and instead duce wild fisheries and block fined 75,000 riel and 150,000 Police cracking down on traffic law violators in Phnom Penh. police pursuing other energy sourc- sediment flows, speeding up riel respectively if they don’t es, such as solar, to meet the the sinking and shrinking of carry the necessary docu- propriate areas will make the revoked or suspended is pun- so that citizens are aware. Kingdom’s power demand. the delta and threatening the mentation, including driving owner liable to fines of between ishable with 1.2 million riel, “The news are being monop- “WWF stands ready to work future of Vietnam’s major rice licence and business permit. 180,000 and 375,000 riel. or 2.4 million riel if driving a olised by the Covid-19 issue, so with the government to sup- basket, countless fishing com- Talking on the phone while Drivers who engage in ille- heavy vehicle. If the offence is many people will probably miss port the development of a munities and long-term eco- driving now entails a fine of gal racing or drive exceeding repeated with six months, driv- learning about these amend- system-wide sustainable nomic sustainability. 120,000 riel for light vehicles the speed limit by 40 km/h ers can face legal charges. ments. I ask the government to energy plan that promotes “Cambodia’s correct deci- and 225,000 riel for heavy ve- will be slapped with a fine of AIP Foundation country di- share this information widely clean and renewable energy sion is an example for other hicles. between 300,000 and 625,000 rector Kim Pagna told The Post so that everyone is aware. alternatives, contributing to countries, recognising free- Failing to conduct vehicle in- riel, depending on the size of that he agreed with the up- “I also ask authorities and the country’s energy goals flowing rivers provide invalu- spections, changing the colour the vehicle. dates to the law and requested police officers to implement without damming Cambo- able benefits for people and of the vehicle without permis- Driving without a driver’s li- the government to dissemi- the law correctly and trans- dia’s remaining free-flowing the countless wild species that sion or placing stickers in inap- cense or if the licence has been nate the information widely parently,” he said. rivers.” they depend on,” he said.

A couple wearing facemasks as protection against Covid-19 in front of the Royal Palace. afp Zuckerberg, Gates to help Kingdom in Covid-19 fight Khouth Sophak Chakrya people have the virus. being produced by Chinese “The team has created a new researchers on January 10. MARK Zuckerberg’s Chan public version of the IDSeq Zuckerberg also detailed Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) and tool so scientists everywhere what measures Facebook is the Bill Gates Foundation (BGF) can study the full genome, and taking to help stop the spread are helping a group of small it can be shared around the of the novel coronavirus, such research institutions in Cam- world,” Zuckerberg wrote. as offering free advertising bodia to fight against Covid-19, The IDSeq tool is a patho- space to the World Health Business Insider reports. gen-detection tool first Organisation (WHO) and Facebook CEO Mark Zuck- unveiled by the CZI in 2018 in monitoring Covid-19 related erberg said CZI, in partnership partnership BGF. misinformation. with BGF and Cambodian Sequencing the genome for He said: “Researchers are researchers, has helped unlock the novel coronavirus allows already using aggregated and a piece of research which may researchers to study its origins, anonymised Facebook data – help in the fight against the what other diseases it’s related including mobility data and coronavirus. to, and how it might be population density maps – to “In partnership with BGF, stopped. better understand how the researchers in Cambodia have The Cambodian researchers virus is spreading,” he wrote. been able to sequence the full referred to in Zuckerberg’s post Ministry of Health spokes- genome of the virus that caus- are not the only scientists to woman Or Vandin could not es Covid-19, making it much sequence the genome for Cov- be reached for comment on easier and faster to identify if id-19, with the first sequence Thursday. THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 5 National Security guard stabbed to death in mysterious cirumstances at bank

Kim Sarom tify a suspect,” he said. Sok Chamroeun’s wife told PHNOM Penh municipal po- police he worked for a private lice are on the lookout for a security company. She also suspect after a private secu- said she was unaware of any rity guard was found dead at a bad blood between her hus- bank on Thursday morning in band and anyone saying, “he Tuol Svay Prey II commune, is a gentle person”. in Boeung Keng Kang district. She said at around 5am on Deputy municipal police Thursday, her husband sent chief Song Ly on Thursday his uncle to work. identified the victim as 37- “When he [the uncle] re- year-old Bun Sok Chamroe- turned later, he told me that un, a security guard from CSC my husband was stabbed to company who was assigned death. I asked why? And he Police chief Chheng Leang said Sok Chamroeun was killed at Ith Samheng meets with Leng Rithy and his Vietnamese delegation at the labour ministry. Labour ministry about 6am after being stabbed several times.

to guard a Phnom Penh Com- said he did not know, as my Vietnamese-owned rubber mercial Bank (PPCBank) husband was already dead branch. when he was found,” she told Deputy commune police police. chief Chheng Leang said The body was then taken to plantations looking to hire Sok Chamroeun was killed Stung Meanchey pagoda in at about 6am after being Phnom Penh for further ex- Long Kimmarita Agri Bank, the Vietnamese accommodation and don’t pay tive director of anti-trafficking, stabbed several times. He amination. Embassy and Tha Di Subsid- for electricity,” he said. Moeurn Tola, said: “Working said a bloodied knife handle Forensic pathologist Nong IETNAMESE-OWNED iary Company, among others. Rithy thanked the govern- conditions at these Vietnam- found near him has been Sovanroth said after he exam- rubber plantations The plantations are located ment for helping and sup- ese-owned plantations may not seized as evidence. ined the body that Sok Cham- in the Kingdom’s in Ratanakkiri, Mondulkiri porting Vietnamese business- be as good as you think. That “We found a knife handle roeun had three fatal stab northeast are short and Kratie provinces. es and investment here. might be why they are having near the body. Police are inves- wounds – one to the stomach onV workers and are looking to VRPA Cambodia president In a Facebook post, Sam difficulties recruiting.” tigating and we expect to make and two to the chest. recruit as many as 105,000 of Leng Rithy said the Rubber Heng expressed satisfaction Tola called for a minimum an arrest soon. None of the vic- them from now until the end Plantation Industrial Alliance with the level of Vietnamese wage in the rubber sector to tim’s property was stolen. We www.phnompenhpost.com of 2021. of Tha Di Subsidiary Company investment in the country, ensure workers can earn a will check the security camera check the post website The plantation owners an- and the Vietnamese Rubber particularly in agriculture. living. at the site to see if we can iden- for breaking news nounced their intention to Plantation Company in Cam- He said Vietnamese compa- enlist more workers during a bodia will need an additional nies looking to expand their meeting on Wednesday with 105,000 workers from now until workforce should promote the Minister of Labour and Vo- 2021, adding that at least 9,000 the positions through the Na- cational Training Ith Sam Heng. are needed immediately. tional Employment Agency The Vietnamese delegation “Some rubber plantations (NEA) in the provinces. at the meeting was composed workers are paid only 800,000 Sam Heng noted that Cam- of representatives from the riel ($200) a month. At our bodia boasts a workforce of 10 Vietnamese Rubber Plan- plantations, a resin collector million people, with four mil- tation Association (VRPA) can earn between one million lion in the agriculture sector. Cambodia, Vietnamese Busi- and 1.5 million riel ($250-$375). NGO Center for Alliance of La- nessmen’s Club in Cambodia, The workers are given proper bour and Human Rights’ execu- Military officer in prison for illegal property sales

Voun Dara

THE Kandal Provincial Court sent military sub- region operations commander Kim Sovann to prison for secretly selling the property of others. Kandal Provincial court spokesman Tin Sochetra told The Post on Thursday that Sovann, 52, hails from Commune III, Phnom Penh, but most recently lived in Koki commune, in Kien Svay district. “We sent Sovann to the Kandal provincial pris- on Wednesday. He was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment for secretly selling the property of others at Banteay Dek commune, Kien Svay dis- trict in 2016 under Article 255 of Land Law. “He was tried in criminal case number 183, dated May 26, 2018, at the Kandal Provincial Court,” he said. Kim Sovann was sent to court in Kandal Province. Sovan has since contested the provincial deci- Facebook sion and filed a complaint to the Appeal Court. The Ministry of Interior’s Criminal Police Criminal Police Department. Department chief, Ngeng Chou, confirmed that He said the military unit had asked to send authorities had arrested Sovan. him to the Military Court as he is a military “We carried out our duties according to the officer, but the request was denied as the case Kandal Provincial Court warrant. After we was not related to military matters. arrested him, we immediately sent him to the “The Ministry of National Defence has been court,” he said. informed that Sovan’s case has been dealt with Kandal provincial police chief Choeurn at the provincial court as his crimes were carried Sochet said provincial authorities did not out in his personal capacity and had nothing to join the arrest as it was the duty of the do with his job in the military,” said Sochet. 6 THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com National NGO celebrates local wildlife WAC offers $500 Ry Sochan reward to catch ESPITE the call for social distancing and to halt large forest arsonists gatherings in light ofD the deadly Covid-19 dis- Soth Koemsoeun ymous tip-offs on the follow- ease that has infected 47 peo- ing phone numbers: 077 972 ple in Cambodia so far, more WILDLIFE Alliance Cambodia 157 or 093 432 009 and 097 497 than 650 youth, women, and (WAC) announced on Face- 4090,” he said. men gathered last week at book on Thursday that it is of- Ministry of Environment the Phnom Tamao Wildlife fering a $500 reward to anyone spokesman Neth Preaktra said Rescue Centre to celebrate who can provide information on Thursday that he support- World Wildlife Day and Inter- leading to the arrest of arson- ed the move and that offering national Women’s Day. ists who recently started forest cash rewards to catch offend- The trip was arranged by fires within a protected area ers is a normal practice. NGO Wildlife Alliance Cambo- along road 48, Trapang Roung He said burning the forest dia (WAC) bringing together commune, Koh Kong district, to grab land and hunt animals students from 10 public schools in Koh Kong province. was a serious crime that de- as well as teachers, staff, el- An official from the NGO stroyed our natural resources. The WAC has rescued over 76,000 animals from illegal traders in Cambodia since 2001. WILDLIFE ALLIANCE ders, and youth representa- CAMBODIA said the reward would be paid “The ministry reminds peo- tives from the Cambodian Red to anyone who handed over ple that in accordance with Cross, Cambodia Scouts, the its effort to encourage children of the coronavirus and other dangers and threats to wild- forest fire arsonists through a Article 62 of the Law on En- Union of Youth Federations and adults alike to become deadly epidemics such as Sars life that live in the forest, and citizen’s arrest or the provision vironmental Protection and of Cambodia, district govern- frontline defenders of their and Ebola,” WAC said. the risks they face from hunt- of information. Natural Resource Manage- ment offices, national police, natural resources,” it said. Kampong Chhnang prov- ers and traders. The rescued “Any person who has wit- ment, any persons that com- and Military Police. Community members could ince’s Samaki Meanchey Dis- ones are looked after very nessed or witnesses forest fire mits such a crime will face a With 2,300ha of regenerated study diverse species and the trict Hall Human Resources well in the centre. arson should report to WAC so Grade 4 punishment. forest, Phnom Tamao Wild- stories behind why they are Office deputy director Say “Some lost their legs and that we can arrest the offend- “Offenders who commit life Rescue Centre is home now living in Phnom Tamao, Buntheng told The Post on arms due to being snared. ers and send them to court. In crimes like logging, clearing, to more than 1,400 animals particularly emphasising the Thursday that the visit has This resulted in the visitors the case of Koh Kong, we will burning and bulldozing forests across over100 species which hazards that snaring poses to made the participants learn feeling sorry for the disabled award $500 if the information for private means or cause for- include Asian elephants, ti- wildlife, said the WAC. about, be aware of and famil- animals. Preserving wildlife leads to the arrest of the per- est fires intentionally can be gers, Pileated gibbons, otters, Through this visit, women iar with wildlife living at the is not only an individual re- petrators,” he said. sent to prison for between five and many hoofstock, birds can play an important role in Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue sponsibility but a collective The official said that - for and 10 years. Offenders will and reptiles, said WAC in a the protection of wildlife, re- Centre. one,” Buntheng said. est fires were very harmful to also be liable to a fine of up to press release on Tuesday. porting wildlife offenses, say- He said previously they WAC said it has rescued all species of wildlife animals 150 million riel ($36,902). “Many of the animals have ing “no” to wildlife meat and used to hear only the name over 76,000 live animals from and that they must be stopped “If perpetrators reoffend, been rescued as victims from products, and inspiring their of the wildlife and see them illegal wildlife traders in Cam- with the community’s help. they will be fined up to 250 the illegal wildlife trade and families and communities to only in pictures and videos in bodia since 2001. “I encourage local commu- million riel ($61,504) and their habitat loss. do the same, it said. some documentaries. Each animal that is saved nities and the public to help property seized,” he said. “The centre is regularly used “This trip was timely and “This visit is to make them from the cooking pot, it said, report arson to our expert by the Kouprey Express team, also a key step in protecting participate in preserving and has helped to reduce the dan- team so we can respond ac- www.phnompenhpost.com Cambodia’s only mobile envi- public health, as wildlife has protecting wildlife. They have ger of transferring infectious cordingly. check the post website ronmental education unit, in been identified as the cause seen the real situation of the diseases to humans. “Informants can give anon- for breaking news THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 7 Business

USD / KHR USD / CAD USD / CNY USD / JPY USD / MYR USD / SGD USD / THB AUD / USD EUR / USD GBP / USD 4,048 1.4486 7.0979 108.90 4.4080 1.4487 32.57 0.5723 1.0861 1.1540 ILO: Covid-19 a major crisis worldwide in labour market

Thou Vireak Self-employment in devel- oping countries, which often HILE the Inter- serves to cushion the impact national Labour of changes, may not do so this Organisation time because of restrictions (ILO) said al- on the movement of people Wmost 25 million jobs could and goods. be lost worldwide as a result Falls in employment also of Covid-19, the government mean large income losses for here said the virus will have a workers. The study estimates minimal impact on employ- these as being between $860 ment, except for the tourism billion and $3.4 trillion by the and garment sectors. end of 2020. This will translate In a recent press release, the into falls in consumption of ILO predicted a rise in global goods and services, in turn af- Labour ministry spokesman Heng Sour said 50 factories across the Kingdom suspended operations in the past few weeks, affecting 20,940 unemployment of between fecting the prospects for busi- workers. Seventeen of these plants have already resumed operations. POST STAFF 5.3 million (“low” scenario) nesses and economies, it said. and 24.7 million (“high” sce- ILO says working poverty is thing But Arms (EBA) scheme Sour said 17 of those 50 ber of job losses will increase “This is no longer only a glob- nario) from a base level of 188 expected to increase signifi- from Cambodia could harm factories have resumed op- in the last two weeks of this al health crisis, it is also a major million in last year. cantly too, as “the strain on 750,000 workers and three erations after China started month because many tour- labour market and economic By comparison, the 2008- incomes resulting from the million families. shipping raw materials to the ism businesses will close crisis that is having a huge im- 2009 global financial crises decline in economic activity Labour Ministry spokesman Kingdom last week. completely as a result of pact on people,” said ILO direc- increased unemployment will devastate workers close Heng Sour said 50 factories Ministry of Tourism spokes- Covid-19,” Sopheak said. tor-general Guy Ryder. worldwide by 22 million. to or below the poverty line.” across the nation suspended op- man Top Sopheak told The Post The ILO estimates that be- “In 2008, the world pre- It said underemployment is Meanwhile, the Garment erations in the past few weeks, that so far 41 hotels have closed tween 8.8 and 35 million addi- sented a united front to ad- also expected to increase on Manufacturers Association in affecting 20,940 workers. These (temporarily or permanently) in tional people will be in working dress the consequences of the a large scale, as the economic Cambodia (GMAC) estimates temporary closures were the re- Siam Reap province, amount- poverty worldwide, compared global financial crisis, and the consequences of the virus out- that the recent decision by sult of a shortage of raw materi- ing to a loss of 2,014 jobs, since to the original estimate for 2020 worst was averted. We need break translates into reductions the European Union to par- als from China as factories there the outbreak began. (which projected a decline of that kind of leadership and in working hours and wages. tially withdraw the Every- closed due to Covid-19. “We estimate that the num- 14 million worldwide). resolve now,” he added. Cambodia, Japan reaffirm trade Minister requests commitments amid virus crisis FAO’s help to boost Thou Vireak “This strategy is key to attract lagging dairy sector Japanese investors. The agri- JAPAN and Cambodia have culture sector, in particular, Hin Pisei nificantly, he said. pledged to reach $2 billion in has great potential for Japa- There are only a handful of bilateral trade this year despite nese investors,” he said. CAMBODIA has asked the UN commercial dairy farms in the the impact of the novel coro- Since 1995, Cambodia has Food and Agriculture Organ- Kingdom, which means Cam- navirus on the economy. welcomed 141 Japanese isation (FAO) to support the bodia imports most of its milk. Speaking at a meeting on investment projects, worth a dairy sector here. Huynh agreed on the impor- Monday between senior Cam- combined $2.5 billion, accord- The request was made on tance of milk in the diet of bodian and Japanese officials, ing to data from the Council Wednesday by Minister of Cambodian children and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and for the Development of Cam- Agriculture, Forestry and promised to follow up on the International Cooperation bodia (CDC). Fisheries Veng Sakhon during minister’s request. spokeswoman Chea Kimtha Most of these projects were a meeting with FAO repre- Mao Sokunthea, the sales said trade between the two in the energy, electronic com- sentative in Cambodia Alex- representative of Techo Sen nations this year will be sub- ponent assembly, auto spare andre Huynh. Russey Treb Milk, told The Post stantial despite the impact of parts, agriculture, food Sakhon said the dairy sec- on Thursday that despite the Covid-19. processing, hospitality, health tor in the Kingdom continues high demand for milk in the Last year, bilateral trade and retail sectors. to underperform despite the market, investment on dairy exceeded the $2 billion mark, Sixty-six of these projects ministry’s best efforts. He farms here was minimal. and for 2020 the countries were in special economic zones, requested FAO’s intervention More investment in the sec- have pledged to achieve at with an estimated capital given the importance of milk tor would reduce milk imports least $2 billion, she said. investment of $340 million. in Cambodian children’s and create new jobs, she said. “The officials committed to Aeon Mall, a Japanese-owned shopping mall in Phnom Penh. SUPPLIED Cambodia exported more diets. “I support the minister’s expanding trade and invest- than $1.7 billion worth of “I asked the FAO and other request. We need more invest- ment between the two coun- acknowledged the active role especially in priority sectors products to the Japanese mar- development partners to con- ment in the sector. We need to tries, and agreed to urge the Japan is playing in the socio- such as logistics, infrastruc- ket last year, an increase of 7.7 sider supporting the dairy sec- promote local dairy products relevant institutions to work economic development of ture, industry and human per cent from 2018, said the tor because milk is nutritious and to up their standards,” she closely together to improve the Cambodia and expressed grat- capacity building,” she said. Japan External Trade Organi- and a very important part of said. investment environment in itude for its support in several Cambodia Chamber of Com- sation (Jetro). children’s diets, especially in Techo Sen Russey Treb Milk Cambodia to attract more areas. merce vice-president Lim Heng The Kingdom imported over rural areas,” he said. is located in Preah Vihear Japanese investors,” she said. “The Japanese side reaf- highlighted the role of the $563 million worth of products With FAO’s support, the province and has 100 cows. Kimtha said during the firmed its commitment to Mekong-Japan cooperation from Japan, a 33.4 per cent number of dairy farms in the The firm produces 600 litres meeting, Cambodian officials continue assisting Cambodia, strategy in increasing trade. increase. Kingdom could grow sig- of milk a day. 8 THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com S pecial​​ ReportReport Cambodia’s rice bowl remains half full The Kingdom’s rice sector, already challenged by climate change, survives under the throes of a symptomatic, disjointed adaptation and mitigation effort

Sangeetha Amarthalingam WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO? UST swirls in the distance of vast rice fields flanking OVER HALF OF ALL CLIMATE CHANGE SPENDING IN THE 2017 BUDGET WENT TO TWO KEY MINISTRIES (MPWT AND MoWRAM) north-connecting NationalD Road 6. It signals the start of the dry season in Cambodia. There is no hu- Ministry of Public Works man activity, as the heat is and Transport (MPWT) stifling. March to June are the hot- 19% test months. The balmy days can hit 43 Celcius, triggering Ministry of Water the brisk sale of air condition- Ministry of Resources and ers and fans in the cities. In the provinces though, farm- Environment (MoE) 37% Meteorology (MoWRAM) ing communities brace for 4% the harsh weather. Ministry of Every year, the drought is Health (MoH) 3% said to be longer than the pre- 2017 vious year although rainfall is projected to rise in wet sea- sons. Most times the outcome Ministry of Agriculture, 10% is different. Forestry and Fisheries In Toul Chreav village in (MAFF) Pursat province, traditional rice farmer Say Ny prepares 10% for the solo planting season 17% that begins in May. Ministry of Rural He remains placid on this year’s performance, although Development (MRD) last year’s harvest yielded good Other results due to higher rainfall. Source: The NGO Forum on Cambodia, Cambodia’s Citizen Climate Budget for 2017 “I will leave it to nature to de- termine output,” he said. Nearby, a long canal project of 3.31 million hectares of ar- on Cambodia entitled Cam- organisation that supports 32.1 per cent to the gross do- mate expenditure rose 23 per is taking off. It is the first he able land. bodia’s Citizens Climate women farmers. mestic product (GDP) in 2011. cent to 912 billion riel ($221 has seen despite talks of it in Permanent crops and rubber Budget for 2017. Year-on-year, the figure Having said that, the Cli- million) in 2017 from 770 bil- previous years. The promise plantations made up less than “Water is the biggest prob- fluctuates on unpredictable mate Change Strategic Plan lion riel in 2016. of uninterrupted supply of one million hectares. lem due to extreme weather. weather. Last year, rice pro- (2014-2023) identifies agricul- Unfortunately, only 10 per water is alluring, yet Ny re- Out of the total land, only Rice farms cannot survive duction totalled 10.6 million ture as being the most affected cent was spent on the agricul- mains sceptical. seven to eight per cent is ir- drought. Animals also suffer. tonnes – marginally higher by it, with 90 per cent of losses ture and fisheries sectors. “I have never seen an agri- rigated while 10 per cent is “So, the authorities dug out than 10 million tonnes in 2018. from extreme events related to Despite the increased allo- culture infrastructure built supplementary irrigated. The irrigation canals but the wa- However, this data is a crop harvest failure. cation, the sum is paltry com- here. We have solely de- remaining 80 per cent relies ter has since dried because it rough estimate procured And this impact is closely pared to the total national pended on rainfall to feed our on rainfall. was not connected to a water from various sources, as the connected to water resources budget of 20,556 billion riel fields for generations,” said In 2017, 28.5 per cent of source. authorities claim its disclo- shortage. in 2017, and when balanced the 52-year-old farmer who the national climate budget “This is prevalent in many sure is sensitive, even though It also threatens Cambodia’s against the actual benefit to owns 10ha of rice fields, in- was spent on irrigation, the provinces,” said Keo Keang, the rice sector forms the na- food security, and hits on the combating climate change. herited from his ancestors. highest allocation compared an independent consultant tion’s second largest export poverty level as crop damage The Ministry of Economy His scepticism has a deeper to other climate-related seg- for the farming and climate market. and lower wages can push the and Finance’s Climate Pub- inference. ments such as road improve- change industry. The fact that the farming highly indebted community- lic Expenditure Review 2017 Agriculture infrastructures ment, climate-affected liveli- From her observation, some industry teeters on the on- further below the line. (CPER) revealed that once have been built in farming hood, and climate disaster 80 per cent of the community slaught of climate change Given the gravity of the climate change relevance provinces, with many in the preparedness and manage- she worked with usually leave with secretive figures, ques- impact, the government has weights are applied to the pipeline but these architec- ment. their provinces to take up con- tionable budget allocations been gradually increasing cli- budget, it only constituted tures lack insight. Irrigation and water sup- struction work during the dry for climate projects and the mate change expenditure. 3.2 per cent of the total public Seen as game changers to rice ply fall under the Ministry of season to make ends meet, and lack of initiative to see them Its proportion to the GDP, expenditure, the same level in production, with the likelihood Water Resources and Meteo- return later in the rainy season. through, is somewhat damn- the expenditure rose margin- 2016. It dipped from 4.3 per of raising output, irrigation ca- rology (MoWRAM), which “Many farmers simply ing. ally to one per cent in 2017 cent in 2015. nals are only so good as being soaked up the largest funds give up because they cannot In Cambodia, about 75 per from 0.9 per cent a year ago, Simply put, 70 per cent of connected to a water source. at 37 per cent of the budget cope,” said the former presi- cent of the population is in- underpinned by larger exter- that total budget was spent As of 2008, rice farming con- that year, said a report pro- dent for US-based Heifer volved in the agriculture sec- nal and domestic fundings. without climate change ben- stituted 2.6 million hectares out duced by The NGO Forum International Cambodia, an tor. The sector contributed In absolute terms, total cli- efits, 27 per cent with partial

HOW BIG OF AN IMPACT COULD CLIMATE CHANGE HAVE ON CAMBODIA’S ECONOMY? Unless greater efforts are taken to respond to climate change, Cambodia’s plans to become a “upper middle income” country and to lift people out of poverty are at great risk.

CURRENT EFFORTS TO ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO STOP LOSSES IN GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) 0 2020 2030 2040 2050

-1 -0.4 % -2 -3 -2.5% -4

-5 -6 -6% -7

-8 -9 -10 -9.8% (Loss in projected GDP growth from climate change)

Source: Cambodia Ministry of Economy and Finance and National Council for Sustainable Development Source: MoEF, Climate Public Expenditure Review 2017 Note: Gross Domestic Product is the total value of the goods and services that are produced. It is the main measure of the health of a country’s economy. THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 9 Special​​ Report benefits and only three per cent with exclusive climate benefits. “Climate change is cross- cutting. There are 14 minis- tries to tackle and respond to climate change. How is $225 million sufficient to cover sub-national levels?” asked The NGO Forum’s environ- ment and agriculture pro- gramme manager Hok Meng- hoin. Cambodia is a tiny emit- ter of carbon dioxide. In 2000, it released 47.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent into the at- mosphere but the forests ab- sorbed 48 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. However, the consequence of rising temperature puts Cam- bodia as the eighth most vul- nerable country to disasters. What lies beneath? Here is the rub. It is not just the lack of funds that is scup- pering the national climate action plan. Rather, transparency and accountability over the usage of funds, whether for climate change or other sectors, affect the functionality of climate- A rice field in Battambang dries up in the heat of a prolonged drought last yearpho to by Hong Menea related projects. This is why The NGO Fo- But here too, the CPER rum asked that civil society warns that climate financ- Economic Impact of CC by Sector and Type of Impact (% drop in absolute GDP 2050) organisations and citizens be ing should aim not only at 100% allowed to participate in deci- attracting new resources. It SERVICES sion-making, monitor spend- should also improve the ef- 90% ing on the ground, and hold ficiency and effectiveness of Damage to assets the government accountable significant climate-related 80% for managing public money. expenditures. Labour productivity Therefore, people and or- In any case, the government 70% Loss of income ganisations need access to found it difficult to mobilise re- INDUSTRY complete, timely, detailed sources as the action plans were 60% and understandable infor- not even integrated in sector mation on the government’s plans and the National Strategic Damage to assets 50% budget plans. Development Plan, which is the Labour productivity Another setback is related basis for budget allocation. to the implementation of In an interview last month, 40% Loss of income climate action plans within Ministry of Environment ministries which involves spokesman Neak Pheaktra ac- 30% AGRICULTURE abiding by climate policies knowledged that the success Damage to assets and bylaws in the National of the Kingdom’s climate goals 20% Council for Sustainable De- hinged upon the lack of funds Labour productivity velopment. and implementation of action 10% “Cambodia wants to align plans by the ministries. Loss of income itself with international pro- It is not enough that his min- 0% cedures. We have those poli- istry alone does its level best 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 cies. They are good and the to meet the goals outlined in words are beautiful but what its pledges made under the Source: MoEF & National Council for Sustainable Development, Addressing Climate Change Impacts on Economic Growth in Cambodia (May 2018) is the point when application UN Framework on Climate is low?” Menghoin said. Change and Paris Climate The limited ownership of Agreement ratifications. WHAT HAS BEEN THE TREND IN SPENDING ON CLIMATE CHANGE? climate action plans in the Pheaktra said there has to ministries and its implemen- be more emphasis on knowl- GOVERNMENT SPENDING WITH EXCLUSIVE CC FOCUS REMAINED LOW FROM 2014 TO 2017 tation is perhaps related to edge and capacity building in underfunding, suggests the the ministries that includes (DOMESTIC AND DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS EXPENDITURE AS SHARE OF TOTAL BUDGET) mid-term review of Climate training the staff to under- Change Strategic Plan in 2019. stand the impact of climate For instance, the Ministry of change. 2013 4% 26% 70% Agriculture, Forestry and Fish- At the same time, it will seek eries’ technical working group, for increased funding assistance which was created to develop from development partners and 2014 5% 30% 65% the climate action plan, was the Green Climate Fund. unclear of its function after the Three years ago, donors for plan was approved. climate change expenditure 2015 4% 25% 71% Another example Menghoin comprised the Asian Devel- shares is the construction of a opment Bank (35 per cent), road where the cost is lower China (29 per cent), and Ja- 2016 3% 27% 70% than a climate change resil- pan (seven per cent). ient infrastructure. The impact from the short- “So it becomes a challenge. age of funds is apparent for 2017 3% 27% 70% How does the ministry ex- the rice sector, said Director- ecute the projects by taking ate of Agriculture director- into consideration adapta- general Nhim Chhay. Exclusive CC benefit Partial CC benefit No CC benefits tion and climate change “Often, we cannot do much Source: The NGO Forum on Cambodia, Cambodia’s Citizen Climate Budget for 2017 measures when it is expen- such as build canals as that sive? I don’t think many comes under MoWRAM. comply due to high costs,” “Rice needs a lot of water seeds from its reserve to poor difficult to get more,” he said. “We had some good years ble, and raise cattle for daily he said. unlike vegetable crops which farmers across Cambodia, but there were bad years living,” he said. This pushes ministries to are able to grow with mini- and provide smart agriculture “Some years were good” too. Still, I managed to send Moving forward, with the seek additional financial re- mum water. capacity building trainings. For Ny, who works the fields my seven children to school unpredictable weather wreak- sources to implement climate “We have built grid irriga- “We have a 2,000 tonne with his 49-year-old wife, the and university with what we ing havoc in the agriculture action plans as they are short tion for that sector but for seed reserve and are trying to days of rice farming is coming earned and small loans. sector, coupled with weak of government funds. rice fields, we are hampered develop climate resilient rice to a close. He plans to retire in “These days, I can’t tell any- climate adaptation and miti- In 2017 alone, some 692 bil- by funds,” said Chhay. varieties. 10 years as age is catching up. more. I don’t make much like gation efforts, more farmers lion riel was required to con- Nevertheless, the depart- “This is what we can do now “I suffer nearly $2,000 when- before. When it is time to re- might just turn in their tools duct climate adaptation and ment is ready to help farmers while seeking a higher alloca- ever my crop is damaged by tire, my wife and I will survive than risk taking a gamble year mitigation works. by distributing 1,000 tonnes of tion from the budget. But it is drought, floods or pests. by planting fruits and vegeta- after year. 10 THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com Business Oil prices down as rally loses steam

OIL prices pulled back from a massive early rally on Thursday as a plan by the European Cen- tral Bank to buy huge amounts of bonds failed to calm corona- virus-ravaged markets. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate had surged more than 17 per cent at the open in Asian trade, recouping enor- mous losses Wednesday when prices hit 18-year lows. But it lost a large chunk of those gains in the afternoon, and was trading up almost 12 per cent at $22 a barrel. International benchmark Brent crude initially jumped 8.5 per cent but lost ground later, and was up 4.6 per cent at $26 a barrel in late Asian business. The European Central Bank said the $820-billion programme was temporary and will be halted when the coronavirus crisis is judged to be over. AFP Asian stocks also made strong early gains on the ECB move but later slipped into negative territory as optimism about the plan was eclipsed by concerns ECB bazooka fails to ease fears the global economy is headed for a long, deep recession. SIAN equities sank Those comments echoed prompted by the outbreak economy, which have amount- first time since 2017 as trad- Oil markets have been ham- again on Thurs- the words of her predecessor but it later bounced back to sit ed to almost $2 trillion. ers feared that the spiralling mered by collapsing demand day while the dollar Mario Draghi, whose pledge more than 13 per cent down. Still, the measures have not pandemic could tip the world as the virus prompts sweeping surged as a European to do “whatever it takes” to The sharp losses were in tan- been enough to soothe panic- into a severe and long-lasting travel restrictions and business CentralA Bank plan to spend preserve the eurozone was dem with a surge in the dollar stricken investors and analysts recession. closures, and as major produc- more than $800 billion to buy seen as a turning point in the as investors scrambled for cash say more must be done. Soon The ECB move also had ers Saudi Arabia and Russia bonds failed to instil optimism region’s sovereign debt crisis. to pay debts or just stash away. after the ECB announcement, a dramatic effect on the oil engage in a price war. in traders who fear that the Asian markets initially The pound is now wallow- French President Emmanuel market, with the price of the Thursday’s early bounce fol- world is heading for a virus- climbed on the news but ing around its lowest levels Macron called for more fiscal US benchmark West Texas In- lowed the ECB’s surprise fuelled economic catastrophe. soon tumbled as inves- since the mid-1980s, while action from leaders. termediate up almost 17 per announcement of a €750-bil- In what one analyst said tors contemplate months the greenback was up more Australia’s central bank cent at nearly $24 a barrel, lion ($820 billion) scheme to could be a “game changer” of economic hardship with than six per cent against the became the latest to move, recouping much of the 24 per purchase government and cor- for the coronavirus-wracked countries around the world Australian dollar and more slashing interest rates to a cent lost the day before. porate bonds. eurozone, the ECB’s so-called in lockdown to prevent the than three per cent on the record low on Thursday and However, the commodity The so-called Pandemic Pandemic Emergency Pur- spread of Covid-19, which South Korean won. pledging to pump billions tracked the sell-off on oth- Emergency Purchase Pro- chase Programme aims to give has now infected more than The US dollar hit a record into the financial system. er markets and lost a large gramme comes just six days financial markets some much- 200,000 people and killed al- high above 75 Indian rupees, But Ryuta Otsuka, chief chunk of those gains. after the ECB unveiled a stimu- needed liquidity as investors most 9,000. while the New Zealand dollar strategist at Toyo Securities, Oil markets have been ham- lus package that also failed to pull the plug on markets. Seoul tanked more than and Russian ruble lost more told AFP: “Offering of liquidity mered by collapsing demand calm nervous markets, piling It said the €750-billion eight per cent, Singapore than five per cent. by the [European] authorities as the virus prompts sweeping pressure on the bank to open ($820-billion) programme dived 4.5 per cent and Hong And AxiCorp’s Stephen Innes supported morning trade, but travel restrictions and busi- the financial floodgates. was temporary and will be Kong, Sydney, Wellington and warned of further turmoil that was short-lived as people ness closures, and as major But analysts predict oil prices halted when the coronavirus Bangkok lost more than three despite the historic moves don’t know where the exit is producers Saudi Arabia and have further to fall. crisis is judged to be over “but per cent. Tokyo ended down by banks and governments. from fears over the coronavi- Russia engage in a price war. “With a global recession in any case not before the end one per cent, while Taipei and “Wartime economics is not rus, even though it seems like “There is just extreme vola- upon us with an indeterminate of the year”. Jakarta crumbled more than going to help with everyone it is simply something like a tility in the market now as end, and a price war in full cry After announcing the move, five per cent. in lockdown sitting at home bad kind of cold.” participants try to assess the by oil producers, the world ECB boss Christine Lagarde Mumbai and Shanghai were watching Netflix,” he said. The latest rout in Asia fol- economic impact of the coro- should probably be preparing tweeted that “extraordinary more than one per cent lower. The ECB’s bazooka was the lowed another day of carnage navirus and what it means for itself [for] sub-$20 oil sooner times require extraordinary Manila plunged almost 25 latest in a string of measures by on Wall Street, where the Dow oil demand,” Daniel Hynes, rather than later,” said Jeffrey action. There are no limits to per cent after reopening fol- central banks and governments ended down more than six per at Australia & New Zealand Halley, senior market analyst at our commitment to the euro.” lowing a two-day suspension aimed at supporting the global cent and below 20,000 for the Banking Group, said. AFP OANDA. AFP Lufthansa: Virus endangers ‘future of aviation’ without aid

THE chief executive of German air- A “relief flight schedule” set to run restrictions slammed down. line giant Lufthansa warned Thurs- until April 19 will see Lufthansa and And its cargo division’s aircraft will day that governments might need to its subsidiaries operate “a total of remain airborne, continuing its regu- save the industry from the coronavi- about five per cent of the originally lar flight plan apart from connections rus crisis, as “drastic cutbacks in flight planned programme,” with Austrian with mainland China. operations” have grounded over 90 Airlines suspending almost all flights “The company is currently examin- per cent of its planes. until March 28 and Brussels Airlines ing the possibility of using passenger Some 700 of Lufthansa’s 763 aircraft between March 21 and April 19. aircraft without passengers . . . to fur- are “temporarily parked” following Meanwhile the group’s flagship air- ther increase cargo capacity,” massive reductions in its flight opera- line will operate remaining long-haul Lufthansa said. tions over the coming weeks “due to flights from Frankfurt only, wiping Finance director Ulrik Svensson entry restrictions in many countries and out departures from second German added that the group is “financially a collapse in demand,” the group said. hub Munich. well equipped” to weather the corona “The longer this crisis lasts, the Lufthansa planes will also carry out storm, with €4.3 billion [$4.7 billion] more likely it is that the future of “around 140 special relief flights” for of liquidity on hand. aviation cannot be guaranteed with- over 20,000 passengers, as governments Lufthansa also has “unused credit Some 700 of Lufthansa’s 763 aircraft are ‘temporarily parked’ following massive out state aid,” chief executive Carsten in its carriers’ home countries repatriate lines” and “further funds are currently reductions in its flight operations over the coming weeks.AFP Spohr said in a statement. citizens stranded abroad after travel being raised,” the group said. AFP THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 11 Business

On Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (right) said officials were drawing up a package that could surpass $1 trillion, on top of $300 billion in deferred tax payments.AFP Finance chiefs vie to inoculate economy

overnments sick leave and expanded un- The International Mon- package” of government- package worth some €47 mutualising their debts. and central banks employment benefits signed etary Fund is making $50 backed loans worth £330 bil- billion to help the country China, ground zero of the are injecting eye- into law by President Donald billion available for poorer lion ($400 billion). weather the virus impact. virus outbreak with more popping sums and Trump on Wednesday. countries, and has appealed President Emmanuel Ma- Turkey announced a $15 than 3,000 deaths, has cut emergencyG policy remedies A bailout for US airlines for a “global response” of cron of France, which is billion “Economic Stability interest rates and vowed a into the global economy as could also be in the works, af- the kind seen after the 2008 now under total lockdown, Shield” including tax cuts for range of measures including the coronavirus pandemic ter Mnuchin said they face a crash. said Monday the govern- businesses and help for low- tax cuts and more fiscal trans- upends all normal life. crisis now “worse than 9/11”. G7 leaders including Trump ment would ensure that all income households. fers from Beijing to virus-hit Markets have crashed as The Federal Reserve has on Monday vowed to “do bank loans to companies are The European Central Bank regions. world growth faces its biggest taken interest rates down whatever it takes, using all backed by a state guarantee on Wednesday announced a New Zealand Tuesday raid- crisis since 2008, and have so to virtually zero, and mas- policy tools” to safeguard totalling €300 billion. surprise €750-billion scheme ed its “rainy day” fund to re- far shrugged off the stimula- sively increased cash injec- growth, but offered no con- The French government an- to purchase government and lease NZ$12.1 billion (US$7.3 tory efforts as the outbreak tions into financial markets, certed action plan. nounced a separate aid pack- corporate bonds to contain billion) in stimulus spending. engulfs the West. including an additional $1.5 G20 nations rallied together age worth €45 billion to help the economic damage from Last week, Australia un- AFP surveys responses by trillion last week and $1 tril- to combat the 2008 crisis, but businesses and employees the virus. veiled a $11 billion spending major economies as the coro- lion so far this week. the group has been absent cope. Finance ministers had plan – equivalent to just un- navirus has spread from China The US central bank also from the triage effort so far Germany has unveiled pledged Monday to fight the der one per cent of GDP – to to infect the rest of the world, unveiled a new credit facility this time. €550 billion in government- coronavirus “war” but de- help avert its first recession enforcing national lockdowns to help households and busi- Saudi Arabia, which holds backed loans “for starters”, clined for now to tap up the in 29 years. On Thursday its and crippling businesses: nesses stay afloat, while Don- the G20 presidency, is calling and suspended legal obliga- European Stability Mecha- central bank also cut interest On Tuesday, US Treasury ald Trump has shifted his tone for an extraordinary leaders’ tions for firms facing acute nism, the eurozone’s €410 bil- rates to record lows. Secretary Steven Mnuchin after downplaying the out- summit next week. As with liquidity problems to file for lion war chest. Japan, which faces a huge said officials were drawing up break for weeks, now appeal- all other gatherings now, it bankruptcy. The ECB is reviving crisis- financial hit from the possible a package that could surpass ing for bipartisan support. would be in “virtual” format. In hardest-hit Italy, the gov- era measures to encourage postponement of the Tokyo $1 trillion, on top of $300 bil- Trump ordered the sus- After China, Europe is now ernment promised to deliver bank lending to beleaguered Olympic Games this summer, lion in deferred tax payments. pension of evictions and the epicentre of the Covid- a “very strong injection of companies, but surprised is offering at least $15 billion The measures – far sur- mortgage foreclosures for six 19 coronavirus outbreak and liquidity” into the financial the markets by keeping its in loan programmes for firms. passing aid during the 2008 weeks as part of the govern- governments have scrambled system to generate €340 bil- borrowing rates on hold last Hong Kong’s government financial crisis meltdown ment effort to ease the pain. to open the spending taps lion in cash flows. Thursday. is giving a cash handout to – are likely to include direct Canada on Wednesday an- while at the same time clos- Spain plans to guarantee up Debate has also begun every permanent resident, cash payments to struggling nounced an aid package of ing their borders. to €100 billion in corporate among eurozone members with a recession brought on families. Can$27 billion (US$19 billion) British finance minister loans. about creating “coronabonds”, by months of political pro- The package is in addition plus more in tax deferrals, and Rishi Sunak on Tuesday un- Poland on Wednesday un- which would be the first time tests now exacerbated by the to $100 billion directed at paid has also cut interest rates. veiled an “unprecedented veiled a crisis-management members break a taboo about coronavirus. AFP Australia slashes interest rates

Australia’s central bank cut inter- cheap for the foreseeable future. when the health crisis recedes, the est rates to record lows and moved It also said it would intervene in country is well placed to recover to pump billions into the financial the bond market – a move designed strongly.” system Thursday, in an emergency to ensure that the Australian gov- At least Aus$90 billion (US$50 bil- bid to pull the economy out of a ernment and business can borrow lion) will also be provided to sup- pandemic-induced free-fall. cheaply to counteract the cost of port credit to small and medium- The Reserve Bank of Australia cut the crisis. sized businesses. the cash rate by a quarter of a point “The functioning of major gov- The coronavirus crisis has to 0.25 per cent, making it the latest ernment bond markets has been crashed equity markets worldwide lender-of-last-resort to announce impaired,” bank governor Philip and is already causing a swathe of emergency measures during the Lowe said in a statement. job losses. fast-moving crisis. “At some point, the virus will be As whole economies have locked The bank told markets that contained and the Australian econ- down and demand in many sectors rates would remain low “until omy will recover,” he said. has evaporated, economists have progress is being made towards “In the interim, a priority for the warned it could spark a depression The Reserve Bank of Australia cut the cash rate by a quarter of a point to 0.25 per cent, full employment”, a clear prom- Reserve Bank is to support jobs, if governments and monetary poli- making it the latest lender-of-last-resort to announce emergency measures. AFP ise that borrowing will remain incomes and businesses, so that cy makers do not step in. AFP 12 THE PHNOM PENH POST March 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com

www.phnompenhpost.com/post-focus INFRASTRUCTURE Jica invests in rejuvenation of National Road 5 lifeline orkers are busy renovating National Road 5, a critical artery connectingW the region’s South- ern Economic Corridor. When completed, the network will connect Phnom Penh with Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok, and extend to Myanmar. National Road 5 will “undeni- ably result in urbanisation, while the bypasses and bridges will improve road safety, and enrich the local community along with, of course, the region as a whole”, said Dun Vandyreagan, an of- ficial from the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation’s Road Infrastructure Department. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) com- mitted an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan of $600 million at an interest rate of 0.01 per cent to make the work in the Kingdom possible. The project in Cambodia stretches from the outskirts of the capital through Kandal province, to the Thai border in Banteay Meanchey province via two routes through Pursat and Bat- tambang provinces – spanning more than 350km. Driving 215km up the road National Road 5 is a critical artery of the Southern Economic Corridor, which will connect Phnom Penh with Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and the Thai capital Bangkok. from Prek Kdam bridge towards the “Rice Bowl of Cambodia”, it becomes clear that the invest- ment in the road network brings far-reaching advantages. The project aids more than transportation, benefiting farm- ers with improved supply to local and international markets and enhanced logistics. “I’m really happy that Jica is rebuilding the road, and the community is looking forward to it being completed,” said Muol Meun from Battambang province’s Moung Russey district. Muol, head of rice farming collective Chrey Bong Kern Phol, said his cooperative once grew only 39 tonnes of rice a year, but after receiving train- ing from Jica, that number Jica’s Wat Chre Irrigation and Drainage Improvement Project will benefit some 8,500 families. Farmer Muol Meun says his collective is growing more rice than it can store. gradually grew to more than 100 tonnes. munity’s rice that he is unable to Moul. Sap Irrigation and Drainage supplemented her income sell- In 2009, before Jica began fulfil orders. However, farmers Jica has provided an ODA Rehabilitation and Improvement ing drinks and snacks. assisting rice growers, farmers experienced difficulty coping loan of almost $41.5 million for Project team leader, noted that “I’ve faced some diffi- were only harvesting once a year, ” with this year’s abnormally hot its construction. the main canals were rehabili- culty accessing water because but now yield crops twice in that dry period – straining output Already 95 per cent complete, tated through Chinese aid. sometimes it is plentiful timeframe. I’m really happy Jica this season. it will not only better control “This is a good example of and other times it is not. We Moul took home the model “We depend on irrigation to hydro flow, but also channel wa- cooperation here in Cambodia,” expect to have reliable water farmer award in 2014, and the is rebuilding the road, water our paddy fields . . after ter to rice farmers throughout the he said. after the project is completed, group’s Phka Rumduol and Sen and the community is the work is done, we can easily area via secondary and branch When complete, the dam will so I’m excited to see the work Kroob varieties won the coveted expect to harvest 60ha of extra canals – benefiting approxi- include a fish ladder to ensure done soon as it will not only “World’s Best Rice Award” in looking forward to it land and yield 100 to 200 tonnes mately 8,500 families, according communities who rely on water help me but also the whole 2018 and 2019 respectively, of rice more than we currently to a joint survey by Jica and the resources continue earning after community. sparking demand and arousing being completed do,” he said. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry the project is complete, with “I think the construction of local farmers’ interest in joining Muol Meun / Farmer Further up the road is the Wat and Fisheries. their stocks able to migrate the road is extremely important the collective. Chre Irrigation and Drainage Previously, rice farmers relied freely. because we will grow a lot more “Our greatest challenge right to the market to sell . . . The road Improvement Project – one of on poorly constructed irrigation Srey Mao, 42, told The Post crops than before and then be now is that we are producing project will address this,” he said. Jica’s most ambitious undertak- canals built using slave labour through a translator that she able to transport them to places more rice than we can store as Moul noted that sometimes ings in the Kingdom – and the during the Khmer Rouge regime. grew crops, including rice, we could not previously reach,” it is difficult to get our product demand is so high for the com- irrigation work referred to by Akio Yamashita, West Tonle water lily and mango, and Mao said. su pp lied PHOTOs THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 13 World Germany in World steps up war on coronavirus hot pursuit TALY on Wednesday reported nearly 500 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, the highest of far right one-day official toll of any na- Ition, as US President Donald Trump GERMAN police on Thursday raided ordered sweeping new action sites across the country linked to a against the pandemic and declared far-right group banned by the interior himself a war president. ministry, weeks after a suspected With the number of global coro- extremist gunman shot dead nine navirus infections shooting past people of migrant backgrounds. 200,000, governments announced “Since the early hours, police meas- new containment measures and the ures are going on in ten states” out of US Congress approved a $100 billion Germany’s 16, interior ministry emergency relief package. spokesman Steve Alter wrote on Twit- Trump announced the deploy- ter. ment of military hospital ships “For the first time, the interior min- while, in Europe, German Chancel- ister has banned a ‘Reichsbuerger’ lor Angela Merkel issued a dramatic (Citizens of the Reich) group,” Alter appeal to citizens. added. “Not since World War II has our coun- “Even in these times of crisis, we will try faced a challenge that depends so fight far-right extremism, racism and much on our collective solidarity,” anti-Semitism.” Merkel said in a television address. The “United German Peoples and Dire news came out of Italy which Tribes” organisation banned Thurs- reported 475 new deaths. More than day belongs to a wider “Citizens of the 8,700 people have died around the Reich” movement fed by conspiracy world with fatalities in Europe now theories. topping those in Asia, where the out- Its adherents question the legiti- break began in December in China. Sri Lankan police women wearing facemask as a preventive measure against the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus take part in a macy of the modern Federal Republic Italy has now recorded more than rehearsal parade in Colombo on Wednesday. With the number of global coronavirus infections shooting past 200,000, governments of Germany and have in the past one-third of global deaths and has announced new containment measures and the US Congress approved a $100 billion emergency relief package. AFP entered into armed confrontations shut down all businesses and public with police. gatherings, steps that have spread Preparing for a spike in ill Ameri- were closing the world’s longest in- nent’s most populous country Brazil In a 2016 shootout, a Reichsbuerger- across the world. cans, Trump invoked a Korean War- ternational border to all but essen- announced its first fatality on Tuesday. linked man killed an officer and “The main thing is, do not give up,” era law that allows the government tial travellers for 30 days, although Two Brazilian cabinet ministers wounded two more. Italian National Institute of Health to compel businesses to sign con- trade will continue unfettered. and the head of the country’s Sen- He was later sentenced to life in chief Silvio Brusaferro told reporters. tracts, which can be used to expand The International Labour Organi- ate said they had tested positive for prison. “It will take a few days before we production of necessities such as sation warned the pandemic could the new coronavirus, while two US After a racist gunman shot dead nine see the benefits” of containment protective masks. leave up to 25 million more people Congress members became the first people of migrant backgrounds in the measures, said Brusaferro. “I view [myself] as a, in a sense, out of work and drastically slash from that body to announce they city of Hanau last month, Interior Min- “We must maintain these mea- a wartime president. I mean, that’s workers’ incomes. had the virus. ister Horst Seehofer declared far-right sures to see their effect, and above what we’re fighting. I mean, it’s a The WHO has also called for “ag- extremism “the biggest security threat all to protect the most vulnerable.” very tough situation here,” he told Africa must ‘wake up’ gressive” action in Southeast Asia to facing Germany” and announced French President Emmanuel Ma- reporters at the White House. The head of the World Health Or- combat Covid-19 after it was large- increased police measures. cron on Twitter called for further “It will be a complete victory,” he ganisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghe- ly spared alarming case numbers Seehofer said the far right had left “a “financial solidarity” within the Eu- vowed. breyesus, warned that Covid-19 con- clocked elsewhere in Asia. trail of blood” in recent months -- two rozone, after the European Central Governor Andrew Cuomo said stituted an “unprecedented threat”. Malaysia has already banned trav- people died in an attack on a syna- Bank announced a 750-billion-euro that Trump told him the 1,000-room In a virtual news conference, he ellers from overseas, while Vietnam gogue in the city of Halle in October bond-buying scheme to contain the USNS Comfort would sail to New stressed the need for countries ev- has blocked visitors from several and a pro-migrant politician was mur- economic damage from the virus. York’s harbour, providing a floating erywhere to “come together as one European nations. dered at his home in June. Britain, where Prime Minister Boris hospital for the metropolis. against a common enemy: an en- Australia and New Zealand moved Separately, 12 men were arrested Johnson had initially chosen a differ- The US Senate easily completed emy against humanity”. to seal off their borders on Thursday, across Germany in February on sus- ent path, followed the lead of his Eu- passage and Trump quickly signed He sounded a special alarm for announcing unprecedented bans picion of planning attacks on mosques ropean counterparts and said schools into law a $100 billion package that Africa, saying the continent must on entry for non-residents in the aimed at bringing about “a civil-war- would shut nationwide from Friday. would provide for free testing, sick “wake up” and “prepare for worst”. hope of stemming the rise of Covid- like situation”. The death toll in Britain has pay and paid family leave. Nearly 600 cases have been re- 19 infections. The government has announced topped 100 and lawmakers were That came a day after Britain unveiled ported in sub-Saharan Africa, rais- Prime Minister Scott Morrison hundreds of new posts for federal cautioned to steer clear of the prime a £330 billion ($400 billion) package of ing particular alarm due to the con- said the ban on anyone who is not a police and security services to minister’s weekly question time, loans for virus-hit businesses. tinent’s fragile healthcare systems. citizen or permanent resident com- strengthen surveillance of the far- amid warnings that parliament was Trump and Canadian Prime Min- Latin America has more than 1,300 ing to Australia “will be in place from right scene, and is considering tighter a particularly infectious area. ister Justin Trudeau announced they recorded infections and the conti- 9:00 pm [Friday] evening”. AFP laws on gun ownership. AFP Kosovo coalition partner to launch no-confidence vote

THE key partner in Kosovo’s leader Isa Mustafa told report- poisoning Kosovo’s relationship “I still say today that we have ruling coalition will file a no- ers his party would launch the with the US, its key ally. LDK as a partner. We want to confidence motion in the “motion of no confidence to In recent weeks, Washington have the LDK in the ruling coa- government, its leader said overthrow the Kurti govern- has intensified heavy pressure lition,” he said. on Wednesday, setting the ment” because the premier on Kosovo to fully lift a tariff it To take down the govern- stage for a political crisis in had fired an LDK minister levied on Serbian goods 2018. ment, LDK would need the midst of the coronavirus without consultation. That measure froze EU-led approval from a majority of pandemic. Earlier in the day, Kurti dis- talks between Kosovo and Ser- deputies in the 120-member The government led by two missed the interior minister bia, who have yet to normalise parliament, where Kurti has former opposition parties took Agim Veliu because he had ties 20 years after they clashed only 29 seats. office less than two months expressed support for declar- in war. That could leave impover- ago, ousting an old guard that ing a state of emergency over Since taking power, Kurti has ished Kosovo with a political had dominated the former the coronavirus -- a move Kurti resisted scrapping the tariff, vacuum as it tries to halt the Serbian province since its 2008 is against, but his top rival instead pushing for a partial spread of Covid-19, which has independence. President Hashim Thaci sup- lift to the strong dismay of the infected at least 20 people But fault lines quickly ports. US, the LDK and President among its population of 1.8 opened up between the left- “Today, an LDK minister has Thaci. million. wing Vetevendosje party, been sacked, contrary to the Speaking after LDK’s Pristina has already put strict whose leader Albin Kurti is coalition agreement,” LDK announcement, Kurti said he measures in place, including Fault lines quickly opened up between the left-wing Vetevendosje party, Prime Minister, and its centre- leader Mustafa told reporters. was not “surprised”, but would shutting schools and all busi- whose leader Albin Kurti is Prime Minister, and its centre-right partner right partner the LDK. He said the decision was also fight to hold the alliance nesses except for pharmacies the LDK. AFP On Wednesday, the LDK’s driven by concern that Kurti was together. and food stores. AFP 14 THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com Asean Malaysia travel ban compounds Singapore woes A BAN on Malaysians leaving accommodation for Malaysian the country, imposed to halt the employees during the travel ban, spread of the coronavirus, will and have pledged to provide deal a heavy blow to neighbour- Sg$50 ($35) a night to firms for ing Singapore, which relies on each affected worker. huge numbers of workers who commute from next door. ‘Many cannot leave families’ Around 300,000 people usually Bus company SBS Transit cross the border every day to said it had secured accommo- wealthier Singapore, about eight dation at several hotels for percent of the tiny city-state’s Malaysian drivers, ensuring its labour force, to work in areas services would not be affected, ranging from public transport to denying reports staff would be electronics manufacturing. forced to sleep on reclining But that flow ground to a halt chairs in depots. A slum area along the river in Manila. The Philippines has ordered around half of its 110 million people to stay home. That quarantine includes Wednesday as Malaysia began Bus companies have, how- Manila, but there was no sign of authorities enforcing it in slum areas. AFP enforcing a two-week ban on ever, cut some services its citizens travelling abroad between the countries. and on foreigners entering the SingPost, the city’s postal country. service which also provides Perfect storm of virus peril Malaysia has so far reported e-commerce and logistics serv- 790 virus cases and two deaths, ices, said it has arranged for the highest number of any more than 400 of its Malaysian Southeast Asian country. Singa- staff to stay in three hotels. pore has reported 266 cases. Malaysian bus driver Ram- in Asia’s sprawling slums The city-state had already mesh Nair said while he had been heading for a recession this taken up the offer of accom- ARY Grace Aves through droplets that can be The narrow, muddy pas- the Philippines’ quarantine year due to the virus outbreak, modation not everyone affect- is terrified of the picked up with one touch or sages between the homes are kicked in but would be forced and the travel ban has only add- ed could do the same. deadly corona- inhaled from a sick person’s only wide enough for one per- to go out to find other em- ed to the negative outlook, said Many people “cannot leave virus pandemic, sneeze, global health authori- son, so locals touch frequently ployment once their money Rajiv Biswas, Asia Pacific chief their family, their children and Mbut the best weapons to pro- ties say the best protection as they slide past one another. ran out in a matter of days. economist at IHS Markit. come and stay here for two tect her family, isolation and is staying home and keeping An infection there would Unlike wealthier communi- “If Malaysia’s Covid-19 cases weeks, you need to understand sanitation, are unreachable hands clean. have everything it needs to ties that can restrict access to escalate further, there is a risk their situation,” he said. luxuries in the Manila shan- “But what if you cannot do spread. outsiders with entrance gates that Malaysia may need to extend One firm put a dozen Malay- tytown they call home. either of those things?”, asked or security guards, slum areas its lockdown period,” he said. sian cleaners on paid leave, as The same particularly dan- Annie Wilkinson, a fellow at ‘Life and death difference’ are wide open. This could create “a further it was more expensive to tem- gerous set of threats loom over research group Institute of More than 218,000 cases of “There’s a possibility we’ll get negative impact on the near- porarily house all of them in hundreds of millions packed Development Studies, in an the Covid-19 infection have infected because we can’t con- term economic outlook” for Singapore. into Asia’s massive slums, where opinion piece. now been detected globally, trol who comes here,” said 48- Singapore, he said. The announcement of the staying clean is nearly impos- “There is a real risk that the with nearly 9,000 deaths. year-old Fely Tumbaga, who Singapore, heavily reliant on travel ban initially sparked sible and people have to leave impacts on the urban poor Asia’s poorest have been large- runs a small store in Tondo. trade and tourism, is always panic buying in the city of 5.7 their homes daily to survive. will be considerably higher ly left to protect themselves as “We don’t know if outsiders badly hit by any major shock million amid concerns about “It may be possible [to iso- than elsewhere,” she wrote. the outbreak accelerates. have the virus,” she added, to the global economy. supplies drying up, but Malay- late] in other areas because East Asia and the Pacific are Neither Indonesia nor In- noting that locals were in- There were chaotic scenes on sia quickly offered assurances they are rich. They have big home to 250 million slum- dia have imposed lockdowns, creasingly wary of anyone the 1km causeway that forms the that food and other vital goods spaces,” said Aves, a mother of dwellers, many of them in and have not taken signifi- they didn’t know. main crossing between the can still cross the border. four. “Here we are crammed.” China, Indonesia and the cant steps specifically direct- For slum dwellers who de- neighbours on Tuesday, as Malay- Governments from the US to “If you run into somebody on Philippines, a 2017 World ed at preventing outbreaks in velop severe cases, reluctance sians queued for hours to get over Europe are now introducing the way out of the house you Bank study said. shantytowns. to seek care due to the cost the border before the restrictions tough restrictions to stem the will touch,” the 23-year-old said Homes in these slums are In Pakistan, Prime Minister involved could prove a deadly kicked in at midnight. spread of the virus, which has from her closet-sized home in tightly-packed, tiny spaces that Imran Khan said the govern- decision. A long line of cars snaked over infected nearly 200,000 people Manila’s Tondo district. are only big enough for sleep- ment would not impose a The strength of a nation’s the causeway late into the night, and killed nearly 9,000. Asian nations have imposed ing and lack running water. large-scale urban lockdown healthcare system has been a with the noise of horns filling Colin Heng, a Malaysian avia- increasingly heavy measures Cooking, laundry, personal against the virus because it key factor in death rates, but the air, while huge numbers of tion engineer who usually works to fight the contagion, with hygiene and leisure are done would extract too great an so is the severity of infection pedestrians crossed by foot, in Singapore, is stuck at home as the Philippines ordering in common spaces filled with economic toll. when people seek treatment. some carrying large suitcases. he was not able to get to Singa- around half of its 110 million people, which means resi- “If we shut down the cities, Public health expert Gideon Singapore has scrambled to pore before the ban kicked in. people to stay home. dents have to be in public in people are already facing dif- Lasco said the ability to pay limit the damage, with Prime He will work remotely, but That quarantine includes order to survive. ficult circumstances, we will but also to reach the hospital Minister Lee Hsien Loong say- said communicating with col- Manila, but there was no sign of In Aves’ settlement, there save them from corona at one as lockdowns tighten will be ing the government is “work- leagues via email rather than authorities enforcing it in slum are no surgical masks, hand end, but they will die from decisive. ing out arrangements” with having face-to-face meetings areas on Wednesday. The order sanitiser or sinks, and toilets hunger on other side,” Khan “Immediate access to qual- companies to help Malaysian was not the same. was being flouted in many parts are buckets emptied directly said. ity care can mean the differ- workers stay in the city-state “Business needs to get back of the sprawling metropolis. into the black water of the Es- Tondo residents said they ence between life and death,” while the ban is in place. to normal, as soon as possible Because the virus spreads tero de Vita river. had been out of work since he said. AFP Authorities are helping to find I hope,” he said. AFP Thai hospitals deploy ‘ninja robots’ to aid battle against Covid-19

THAI hospitals are deploying patients inside through the Authorities recently ordered “ninja robots” to measure robot,” said Viboon Sangver- the closure of bars, massage par- fevers and protect the health aphunsiri of Chulalongkorn lours and entertainment venues of overburdened medical University. to help prevent new cases. workers on the frontlines of Later models will be designed New rules also require visi- the coronavirus outbreak. to bring food and medicine to tors entering the country to First built to monitor recover- patients, and could also even- produce a health certificate. ing stroke patients, the machines tually be used to disinfect hos- Officials have so far stopped have been quickly repurposed pital wards, Viboon said. short of imposing the full lock- to help fight the disease, which His engineering team is racing downs seen in other countries in has so far killed nearly 9,000 to build more “ninjas”, known as a bid to contain damage to Thai- people around the world. such because of their matte land’s crucial tourism sector. They have helped staff at black exterior, for another 10 But the government’s reas- four hospitals in and around hospitals around the country. surances that the pandemic is Bangkok to reduce their risk of Thailand has more than 200 under control have not infection by allowing doctors confirmed Covid-19 infec- stopped bouts of panic buying and nurses to speak to patients tions, including at least one in grocery stores. over a video link. death. More than 40 have Doctors are also urging Thais “They can stand outside the recovered and been discharged to stay home to curb the spread room and communicate with from hospital. of the virus. AFP Doctors are also urging Thais to stay home to curb the spread of the virus. afp THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 15 World Complaint filed with UN over Burundi

A LEGAL complaint against Burundi was filed with a UN rights body on Thursday, over punitive actions taken against lawyers and activists who cooperated with a UN review of the country’s rights record. The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) filed a complaint with the United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT), charging that Burundian authorities’ deci- sion to disbar and suspend four lawyers constituted a “reprisal” for their participa- tion in a 2016 rights review. The complaint alleges that the four – Dieudonne Bashira- hishize, Armel Niyongere, Vital Nshimirimana and Lambert Nigarura – “were sanctioned by the Burundian courts, without a fair trial and on the basis of A homemade narco-submarine that has been seized is seen at the seaport of the Colombian Coast Guard in Tumaco, Colombia, last month. AFP unsubstantiated accusations”. This happened “after they raised public concerns and provided information to the Fleet of cartel narco-subs poses CAT regarding human rights violations perpetrated in Burundi by the government”. The reprisals came after the challenge for Colombian navy four assisted the CAT, which periodically assesses the per- formances of the 156 countries OR years, they were to move a tonne of cocaine Last year, authorities seized Verne’s “Nautilus” in his 19th boat, sinking the evidence”, that have ratified an interna- referred to in hushed by sea than by plane because 433 tonnes of cocaine – more century novel “Twenty Thou- before jumping in the water, tional convention against tor- tones simply as “Big- there are more checks on than half of that by the navy sand Leagues Under the Sea” said Captain Victor Santos ture, in a regular review of foot” – a mythical crea- freight at airports.” – though production was esti- than a sophisticated seagoing Pacheco, commander of the Burundi’s record. tureF rumored but never seen According to the rear admiral, mated to be more than 1,000 submersible. local coast guard, which often They had been working to – but these days, the narco- 80 percent of Colombia’s illicit tonnes. But these low-profile boats finds itself rescuing the crews document cases of torture, submarines used by Colom- drug trade goes out through are designed to take to the sea from the sea. enforced disappearances and bia’s drug cartels have become the Pacific and 14 percent is ‘20,000 leagues’ with their decks awash, car- arbitrary detention in Burun- almost commonplace. sent via the Caribbean. The long-posed question rying their cargo just beneath Narco innovators di, the complaint said, includ- With cocaine production The rudimentary subma- of whether one of the narco- the waves and out of sight. The vessels can reach Central ing during the 2015 political at an almost record high in rines fashioned in secret subs could be sophisticated Tumaco is situated just America in two or three days. protest campaigns against the South American coun- workshops in the depths of and durable enough to cross north of the Ecuador border, Those that head further Burundi’s President Pierre try, authorities on the south- Colombia’s mangrove-fringed the Atlantic was answered in in Colombia’s southwestern north to the Mexican or US Nkurunziza, which left 1,200 western coast say the crude northwestern Pacific coast are November when a 22m ves- Narino department, which coast are replenished at sea people dead and drove 400,000 semi-submersible craft have notoriously difficult for navy sel was discovered off Spain’s has more land under coca with water, food, and fuel, in- from their homes. become a favored tool to patrols or radar to detect. Galician coast. cultivation than anywhere dicating elaborate logistics. The Burundian delegation smuggle drugs towards the They cruise “flush with the The semi-submersible was else in the country – about a Crew members can earn up had, in an unprecedented US – and even to Europe. surface of the water, and the carrying around three tonnes quarter of the 169,000ha un- to $50,000 for a long crossing, move, walked out halfway Thirty-three submarines superstructure that protrudes of cocaine. Two of its three der cultivation in 2018. but see it as a risk worth tak- through a special review in were intercepted in 2019 alone, above the surface is very crew members were report- Nicknamed “the Pearl of the ing, according to officials. 2016, angered by a report filed an average of almost three a small,” Dager said. edly from Ecuador. Pacific” for its stunning beach- “A kilogramme of cocaine is by non-governmental groups. month – most of them along For all their recent success, Evidence of the successes es but plagued by the nation’s worth $30,000 on the streets “In a textbook case of retalia- Colombia’s Pacific coast. Dager and his squad know of Dager’s task force is littered long conflict with narco gangs, of New York,” said Dager. tion, Bashirahishize, Niyongere That is a major concern for that this is probably only the among the mangrove roots Tumaco is a flashpoint in the The task force has recently and Nshimirimana were subse- Rear Admiral Mattos Dager tip of the iceberg. around its base in the south- war on drugs. seen evidence that the subs quently disbarred and Nigarura and his “Poseidon” task force As with all drug shipment western port of Tumaco. are increasingly being used to was given a one-year suspension against drug trafficking. finds, once the initial euphoria Painted in blue, gray and ‘Artisanal boatyards’ transport marijuana. and a five-year ban from sitting “Large quantities of co- subsides, there is the feeling pastel greens, their rustic fi- Rumors that the cartels “It could correspond to the on the executive committee of caine are transported by sea,” that many more get through berglass hulls appear to have were using submarines began fact that its consumption the Bar Association,” ISHR said. Dager said. “It is much easier than are ever detected. more in common with Jules in the 1990s, but it was not has been authorised in some “Furthermore, the victims until 2006 that the navy fi- countries,” said Dager. and their families were threat- nally intercepted one, packed “This has opened up an inter- ened, had their personal and with 3.5 tonnes of cocaine, off esting international market... real property arbitrarily seized, Costa Rica. considering that the produc- and were forced to leave The labyrinth of mangroves tion of marijuana in Colombia Burundi and go into exile,” the that make up 80 per cent of is very economical . . . at $100 a non-governmental organisa- Colombia’s Pacific coast pro- kilo, and it sells for up to $7,000 tion said in a statement. vide ideal cover for “artisanal in the United States.” The complaint argues that boatyards” where the custom- “The profits are just as big Burundi violated Article 13 of built subs are made, according as for the sale of cocaine hy- the torture convention, which to Colonel Nelson Ahumada drochloride,” he added. “guarantees that victims of Ojeda, commander of the 4th The cartels are constantly torture should be protected Infantry Brigade, responsible upping the ante in a cat-and- from reprisals for bringing for the Narino coastal strip. mouse game on the high seas. complaints or providing evi- The army has little chance of They are now using winged dence of torture to the CAT.” tracing the subs’ launching plat- torpedo-like tubes known The UN Committee Against forms in “a spider’s web of some as “parasites” – fixed to the Torture comprises 10 inde- 1,500 streams,” Ojeda said. underside of large ships – to pendent experts who issue The cramped subs are crewed smuggle drugs, according to opinions and recommenda- by between two and four men, Pacheco. tions that carry reputational usually recruited from local They also have a new tactic weight. fishing communities – often, – a GPS-equipped “buoyed However, they have no pow- they are Ecuadorans. cargo” designed for clandes- er to compel states to follow A ‘parasite’ type homemade narco-submarine, which is attached to the hull of large ships. Known as ‘Big In case of discovery by naval tine recovery at sea. their rulings and it can often Foot’, narco-submarines are designed and built in Colombian mangroves before being filled with tons of patrols, “they open the valves “Narco-traffic is innovative. take years before the panel drugs and sent to Central America, the US and Europe. AFP to let in water and sink the It never stops,” he said. AFP reaches a verdict. AFP 16 THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com Opinion

www.phnompenhpost.com www.phnompenhpost.com Amendments to the MTP Act, 1971- EDITORIAL PERSONNEL EDITORIAL PERSONNEL Publisher & Chief Executive Offi cer Publisher & Chief Executive Offi cer Ly Tayseng Ly Tayseng Executive Editor-in-Chief A breakthrough for women’s rights Executive Editor-in-Chief Joshua purushotman Joshua purushotman Managing Editor Post Khmer Opinion Managing Editor Post Khmer Sam Rith Dr Jaydeep Tank Sam Rith Deputy Chief of Staff phak Seangly Deputy Chief of Staff Business Editor N 1971, India became phak Seangly May Kunmakara one of the first few Business Editor Deputy Business Editor countries to recognise May Kunmakara Sorn Sarath the right of women to Deputy Business Editor Deputy Head of Lifestyle Desk Isafe and legal abortion when Sorn Sarath pan Simala it legalised up to 20 weeks for Deputy Head of Lifestyle Desk Senior Reporters a variety of conditions. In pan Simala Meas Sokchea, Niem Chheng order to ensure safety of Senior Reporters Reporters women, the law defined the Meas Sokchea, Niem Chheng Khouth Sophak Chakrya, Kim Sarom, Long specifics like who, when, Reporters Kimmarita, Khorn Savi, Hin pisei, Soth where and for whom abor- Koemsoeun, Voun Dara, Sous Yamy,Soung Khouth Sophak Chakrya, Kim Sarom, Long tion can be performed legal- Sovanny, ly. For those times, the MTP Kimmarita, Khorn Savi, Hin pisei, Soth Ry Sochan Act was a progressive law Koemsoeun, Voun Dara, Sous Yamy,Soung Photographers allowing it under a wide Sovanny, Heng Chivoan, Hong Menea range of therapeutic, eugenic Ry Sochan Web Editor and humanitarian grounds. Photographers Leang phannara In order to keep pace with Heng Chivoan, Hong Menea Webmasters the evolving need of women Web Editor Sous Chanthy, pang Vichea and advances in medical Leang phannara SIEM REAP BUREAU technology, recently amend- Webmasters Offi ce Manager ments have been proposed Sous Chanthy, pang Vichea Sophearith Blondeel to the almost 50-year-old PRODUCTION & PRINTING SIEM REAP BUREAU Act. At a time when abortion Head of Desktop Publishing Offi ce Manager and reproductive rights are Nhim Sokphyrak Sophearith Blondeel under threat in a large Desktop Publishing number of countries in the PRODUCTION & PRINTING Suon Savatdy, Chum Sokunthy, Danh Borath world, the timing and scope Head of Desktop Publishing Tep Thoeun Thyda, Tim Borith, Than Veasna of the amendments to the Nhim Sokphyrak Indian abortion law is espe- Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi (centre). It is important that the government has sought changes in the MTP Act which purport for Indian Desktop Publishing HEAD OFFICE cially laudable. Countries women and girls greater autonomy and control over their lives and reproductive choices. afp Suon Savatdy, Chum Sokunthy, Danh Borath like USA are making abor- Tep Thoeun Thyda, Tim Borith, Than Veasna tion laws more regressive and FOGSI. These are drafted because of the barriers of nosed with a serious foetal foetal abnormalities post and restrictive. in response to the growing need for two-doctor opinion. heart abnormality at 22 diagnosis, by the medical Post Media Co, Ltd. HEAD OFFICE It is therefore even more barriers and struggles, in var- To overcome the impedi- weeks of pregnancy. As the board; thereby striking off The Elements Condominium Level 7, important that the Indian ious settings and at various ment faced by vulnerable existing law did not permit it, the earlier upper gestation Hun Sen Boulevard, Phum Prek Talong, government has sought these levels, women face in access- women in accessing abortion she approached the High Sangkat Chak Angre Krom,12353, Phnom limit of 20 weeks for these Penh, Cambodia changes in the MTP Act ing safe abortion services. services, the amended abor- Court seeking remedy. She cases. This feature considers Post Media Co, Ltd. Tel: 023 888 161, 023 888 162 which purport for Indian The guiding principal of tion law when passed will had to undergo tedious court the field reality which the The Elements Condominium Level 7, Cellcard: 078 555 166, 078 555 133 women and girls greater drafting the amendments enhance the upper gestation proceedings, multiple exami- current law overlooks. Hun Sen Boulevard, Phum Prek Talong, Smart: 086 822 999, 086 277 999 autonomy and control over was to make changes that are limit from 20 to 24 weeks for nations and investigations by This amendment is aimed Sangkat Chak Angre Krom, Phnom Penh, SIEM REAP their lives and reproductive women centric and rooted in special categories of women doctors. It took more than at saving women from the Cambodia No 629, Street 6 Dangkum Commune choices. It has brought us the Indian field realities. including survivors of rape, forty-five days before she was trauma, huge expenses and a SIEM REAP Tel: 063 966 290, Fax: 063 966 590 closer to realising a major Once the amendments victims of incest, differently permitted to undergo the delay in abortion caused due milestone in the reproduc- become law, women will No 629, Street 6 Dangkum Commune COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT to filing petitions in courts Chief Operating Offi cer tive rights journey of women require opinion of only one and awaiting a judgement. Tel: 063 966 290, Fax: 063 966 590 Enforcing the amended James Ong Soon Teck and girls. While we await Par- provider for termination of Enforcing the amended COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT Advertising Department liament’s approval of the pregnancy up to 20 weeks. abortion law into action will abortion law into action will Chief Operating Offi cer Chap Narith, 017 996 241 MTP (Amendment) Bill 2020 This is a welcome move from require concerted efforts of James Ong Soon Teck require concerted efforts of Hun Channet, 017 578 768 due anytime now, let us the current law which man- multiple stakeholders includ- Advertising Department prach Monnyreak, 012 123 7777 demystify the proposed dates one doctor approval for multiple stakeholders ing the federal government, Chap Narith, 017 996 241 Keo puthy, 012 966 605 amendments─ what it entails, pregnancy termination up to state governments, FOGSI Hun Channet, 017 578 768 phon Sok Chea, 012 717 404 what it means for the women 12 weeks and two doctors for abled women and minors. abortion. and the civil societies. We prach Monnyreak, 012 123 7777 Jessa piastro, 092 445 983 of the country and what is termination up to 20 weeks. However, opinion of two pro- This is not an isolated hope these concerted efforts CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION needed to ensure its swift It will provide respite to the viders will be required in such case. Foetal abnormalities will enable effective roll out Acting Distribution Manager Acting Distribution Manager translation into action. women who choose to termi- cases (20 to 24 weeks). This in some medical conditions of the law and trickle down of Thenh Rithy Thenh Rithy, 087 888 854 The MTP Act amendments nate second trimester preg- will provide extended time to are detected only beyond 20 relevant information on the Circulation Supervisor ADMINISTRATION discussed below aimed at nancies as majority second- this group of girls and wom- weeks, which allows women amended abortion law till Nou Chanthy, 096 999 2828 Admin & HR Manager expanding women’s access to ary level facilities (that can en, who encounter far more a short window of opportu- the last point in the field, Yim Veasna, 015 814 499 pich Socheat safe and legal abortion serv- offer abortion services) in barriers of stigma, access and nity to terminate a pregnan- while keeping the spirit of ADMINISTRATION Assistants to Admin & HR Manager ices. They are proposed by rural and peri urban areas agency preventing them to cy, if she decides to. A signif- the amendments intact. Admin & HR Manager Nhel Soaphea the ministry after extensive may have only one abortion avail abortion services within icant feature of the pich Socheat consultations and delibera- service provider. This amend- the current period. proposed amendments is to Financial Director Assistants to Admin & HR Manager The writer is the secretary-general tions with various stakehold- ment will prevent women Last year, in September, a allow abortion at any time Heang Tangmeng Nhel Soaphea of the Federation of Obstetric and ers including the civil society from opting unsafe pathways pregnant woman was diag- for cases with substantial Gynaecological Societies of India. Chief Accountant Financial Director Sren Vicheka Heang Tangmeng Treasurers Chief Accountant Sren Vicheka Sok Sophorn, Yon Sovannara, Treasurers Cheam Sopheak Sok Sophorn, Yon Sovannara, IT Manager Cheam Sopheak Seng Nak, Vong Oun IT Manager

TO CONTACT US Seng Nak, Vong Oun [email protected] TO CONTACT US [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.phnompenhpost.com [email protected] www.phnompenhpost.com © Post Media Co, Ltd © Post Media Co, Ltd The Phnom Penh Post is wholly owned The Phnom Penh Post is wholly owned and printed by Post Media Co Ltd. The and printed by Post Media Co Ltd. The title The Phnom Penh Post in either title The Phnom Penh Post in either English or Khmer languages, its associ- English or Khmer languages, its associ- ated logos or devices and the contents of ated logos or devices and the contents of this publication may not be reproduced this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written in whole or in part without the written consent of Post Media Co Ltd. consent of Post Media Co Ltd. www.phnompenhpost.com www.phnompenhpost.com THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 17 Lifestyle Tourists stand in shock at Egyptian croc taming skills

EEP in the Nubia, “I have raised her since she a region along the was born,” the 45-year-old said Nile in southern lovingly of his pride and joy. Egypt, a baby croco- “She lives on fish, meat and dileD sits on Mamdouh Hassan’s chicken.” shoulder to wow tourists. The reptiles are a source of Pet crocodiles income for Egypt’s Nubian mi- During the reign of presi- nority, with visitors paying to dent Gamal Abdel Nasser, the marvel at the tamed creatures. construction of the Aswan But beyond bringing in tour- High Dam created a reservoir ist dollars, crocodiles play an over traditional Nubian lands. important role in the culture When Lake Nasser began of the ethnic group with a his- filling in 1964, 44 Nubian vil- tory dating to Pharaonic times lages were flooded. Mamdouh Hassan shows a baby crocodile at his house. The reptiles are a source of income for Egypt’s Nubian minority, with visitors paying to and its own unique language. While the Nile’s crocodiles marvel at the tamed creatures. AFP The Nubians traditionally benefited from the new habitat, lived along the banks of the Nile Nasser never fulfilled his prom- “My father was one of the first says. She was named by Ital- For ancient Pharaohs, the from its gut and filled with straw in southern Egypt with roots ex- ise to adequately compensate people in the Nubian village ian tourists who enjoyed her crocodile-headed god Sobek or sawdust. Large crocodiles tending into northern Sudan. Nubians with new land. who really pioneered the idea sunny personality, so Hassan embodied the fluid nature of take about a month to mum- In Gharb Soheil, a Nubian vil- Instead, about 50,000 Nubi- of bringing in crocodiles as pets kept the name. the Nile and was prayed to mify while a smaller one dries lage near Aswan, mummified ans were displaced to villages to lure tourists,” he said. for protection from the an- in a few days, Hassan said. crocodile heads still adorn the north of the dam, on the west In the 20 years since, he has ‘Angels of the Nile’ nual floods. “This is Franco, who died doors of the traditional blue bank of the Nile near Kom developed a keen sense for Visitors snap selfies with A temple is dedicated to last month,” he said of the and white domed homes. Ombo and Aswan – a nar- where and when wild croco- the lounging beasts, while the Sobek in Kom Ombo, en- large mummified head of one Crocodiles represent an row strip of land with limited dile eggs will hatch. villagers regale the tourists graved with pictograms and of his former pets. important physical totem of space for agriculture. Female crocodiles lay their with Nubian folk tales about hieroglyphics detailing the Abdel-Hakim Abdou, a curly- blessings in Nubian belief. Ever since, Nubians have eggs along the banks of Lake the crocodiles. embalming of crocodiles. haired, 37-year-old cafe owner In Gharb Soheil a stuffed demanded the return of their Nasser where Hassan watches Hany, a tourist from Cairo, To this day, Nubians maintain who recommends Hassan’s crocodile on the door shows lands and have maintained for the baby reptiles to emerge was delighted with the spec- a tradition of crocodile taxider- terrarium as a must-see tourist that the homeowner keeps their culture by modernis- before carrying them home. tacle of Hassan opening the my, one that remains true to a attraction, rhapsodised about the large reptiles as pets. ing their traditions. Keeping “The crocodile’s aggressive crocodiles’ mouths wide with centuries-old technique. the importance of crocodiles Outside his humble home crocodiles became a way to nature is tempered by grow- his bare hands. “Although we know very to Nubians. in the village, Hassan gently supplement incomes and ing up in the home with us “I came here with my family well the value of crocodile “The Nile for the Nubian rubbed the back of Francesca promote their heritage. and being cared for,” he said. to spend school holidays, for leather, we do not sell it . . . we represents life . . . everything – a 1.5m-long, 15-year-old Hassan learnt to domesticate Francesca is the star of the the kids to enjoy seeing the cherish it,” Hassan explained. that roams in it we consider crocodile. crocodiles from his father. show in the village, Hassan crocs,” the 35-year-old said. A dead crocodile is skinned angels,” he said. AFP Indian amputee’s new lower limbs adapt to body WHEN amputee Shreya Sid- her new hands become more big spindly fingers,” Siddan- jewellery and nail varnish.” Iyer, a member of a team of that stimulates melanin pro- danagowder was offered new slender, they have also agowder’s mother Suma told Siddanagowder’s life was doctors who operated on Sid- duction. We are wondering if hands, the Indian student changed colour to match her AFP by phone from their home turned upside down in 2016 danagowder. MSH levels can really influ- didn’t hesitate even though skin tone, mystifying the doc- in Pune in western India. when, aged 18, she was As a result, those seeking a ence the skin colour.” they were big, dark and hairy, tors who carried out the rare “Now nobody can make out involved in a bus accident that transplant “are so desperate Melanin is a natural pigment and once belonged to a man. 13-hour transplant. that they are a man’s hands . . . crushed both her arms. that they don’t mind if the that gives skin, as well as hair Now though, not only have “The donor was a tall man with She has even started wearing A delay in getting first aid hands are from a different gen- and eyes, their colour. meant that both her hands had der”, Iyer, a specialist in recon- Dr Shehla Agarwal, a leading to be amputated below the structive surgery, said. dermatologist in New Delhi, elbow. Eventually, the hospital said that the absence of testo- Only 200 successful hand obtained a pair of hands from a sterone explained why the transplants have taken place man in August 2017. Siddanagow- hands became less hairy, and worldwide, including nine in der and her family accepted. agreed that other hormonal India, since the first in the The donor hands were first changes might explain the United States in 1999 on a man attached by the bones before change in colour. whose left lower limb had been the tendons, blood vessels and But she also cited other pos- blown off by a firework. skin were painstakingly sible factors. stitched together. “The donor male may have Search for donor After the transplant, she had been exposed to more sunlight The first in India was con- to undergo more than a year and physical activity compared ducted in 2015 at the Amrita of physiotherapy for her body to the woman,” Agarwal said. Institute of Medical Science and brain to get used to the Shreya on her part is loving (AIMS) in the southern state of new hands and obtain mobil- the transformation, she even Kerala, where Siddanagow- ity and sensation. wrote her recent college exam der’s family took her. with her new hands and so are The biggest problem was Birthday gift her doctors. finding a donor. For cultural Iyer said that the colour of “We all feel very happy for reasons, Indian families are Siddanagowder’s hands quick- her,” said Iyer. often reluctant for the hands ly began to show “a lot of “The best moment was when of their loved ones to be made change”, but that it is difficult she sent me a hand-written available after their death. to pinpoint why. note on my birthday. I could Siddanagowder’s life was turned upside down in 2016 when, aged 18, she was involved in a bus accident that “Usually you have to wait for “It could be because of MSH. not have asked for a better crushed both her arms. AFP a long time,” said Subramania A brain-controlled hormone birthday gift.” AFP 18 THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com Lifestyle

Yang Joon-il (right) performs during a recording session for a television channel music show in Seoul. AFP Sign of the times: K-pop idol reemerges

HIRTY years ago his crossing background – he was bending presentation of self”. floppy hair, make-up, born in Vietnam to Korean Yang’s big break came three and flamboyant fash- parents who later emigrated decades after he first began ion sense outraged to the US – was unwelcome. performing. audiences,T who threw stones He was once banned from In 2018 South Korean televi- at him as he performed on radio shows for speaking sion stations started stream- stage and threatened to beat English on air and a civil ser- ing long-archived pop TV him at shows. vant told him that “people shows on YouTube, and mil- Today, 50-year-old Korean- like you take away jobs from lenials – many not even born American singer Yang Joon- us Koreans”. when he made his debut – il is enjoying an unlikely discovered him. comeback, re-discovered ‘Pioneering, gender-bending’ Word spread until it was by the YouTube and social Yang made a few appear- picked up by mainstream media generation through ances on the nation’s top pop media, and in December he online clips and hailed as a television shows – display- made his comeback televi- forerunner to today’s K-pop ing moves that would not be sion appearance, pulling off stars. out of place in a K-pop video his signature New Jack Swing- The K-pop industry is now today – but struggled to find inspired dance steps. estimated to generate $5 bil- mainstream appeal as many The singer’s rise to fame lion a year and many of its found his approach too “ef- comes at a time when in- male stars are celebrated at feminate” and “foreign”. tergenerational conflict is home and abroad for their “I just felt that Korea and mounting in South Korea. gender fluidity, while Yang – I were incompatible,” Yang Citizens now in their 50s who was once shunned for says, adding: “The audi- and 60s worked for and ben- exactly that – is often com- ence felt very distant, so Yang Joon-il (right) performs during a recording session for a television efitted from rapid economic pared to current idol G-Drag- whenever I performed I channel music show in Seoul. AFP growth and value endurance on, lead of hugely popular just avoided looking at and conformity, but many Ko- band BIGBANG. them.” played,” said Yi Duk-jin. “Peo- hours a day. reans in their 20s and 30s refer Standing in front of a Once, he recalled, ple said he was too weird, too Keung Yoon Bae, who re- to themselves as members of 2,000-strong crowd at an an audience member strange. He spoke English, searches film and media the Sampo, or “three sacrifice”, appearance in Seoul, the faked a handshake to wore earrings and had long at Harvard, says Yang first generation -- forced to give up middle-aged singer felt pull him violently down hair despite being a man.” emerged at a time when “an marriages, relationships and speechless as they cheered: to the ground from the Yang quickly faded into explosion of Korean pop had children in the face of intense he had never experienced stage, telling him: “You obscurity, working as an to coexist with a still-conser- job competition and expen- such mass adoration. need a beating.” English teacher until he vative social climate”. sive housing in the country’s “There are no words to de- Fans remember be- moved to the US in 2015. cut-throat economy. scribe what that moment ing ridiculed for sup- He struggled to make ends ‘Nostalgia for the past’ “Before discovering Yang, was like. I felt like I could not porting him. meet with a wife and toddler Within a few years of Yang’s I’d never met anyone in their breathe,” Yang tells AFP. “At karaoke bars, people son to support and confesses brief moment in the spot- 50s who made me think, He is “extremely surprised” would just turn off to feeling suicidal until light, emerging stars includ- ‘Wow, that person is cool, by his new-found popularity, the machine he secured a job ing Seo Taeji and Boys, a band that’s how I want to be like 20 he adds. “I’d like to ask them: when his as waiter in considered as innovators who or 30 years from now,” said ‘Why do you like me?’” m u s i c Florida, marked the start of modern K- Lee Young-jun, a 35-year- It was a marked contrast work- pop, were laying the ground old YouTuber who creates from his early music career. ing 14 for its expansion to global fan content about Yang. “But In the early 1990s, the popularity, now epitomised Yang is different.” South was emerging from by septet BTS. Tamar Herman, a K-pop decades of military rule, but “I didn’t really think I was correspondent for Billboard, a nascent cultural renais- ahead of my time,” says fans are looking “nostal- sance had yet to influence Yang insists. gically at the past”. social values and neither his But University Bringing “hidden gems” appearance nor performance of California, Berkeley like him to light, she added, style conformed to Korean sociology professor John “gives audiences a sense that norms of the time. Lie disagrees, calling him a they can change the past at Nationalist sentiment was “pioneering public figure of a time when changing the widespread and his culture- non-macho, almost gender- present is hard”. AFP THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 19 Lifestyle French hoard bread amid rising virus cases S ANXIOUS consumers around the world stockpile toilet paper and pasta, the French are thronging bak- eriesA for baguettes, fearing a short- age of their daily bread as they wait out the coronavirus epidemic in confinement. The country of 67 million people consumes nine billion of the long loaves every year, has an annual competition for the best baguette in Paris, and a special word for the pointy end they chew off on their way home from the baker after work: the crouton. Bakers are among the few essen- tial-service businesses allowed to stay open in France under strict an- ti-virus confinement measures that took effect on Tuesday. And they are thriving, with long lines in the cities and countryside alike. “Our numbers have doubled since Monday,” Addenour Koriche, sales manager of a bakery attached to a large supermarket north of Paris, said on Wednesday. “We are now on 800 baguettes per day. Yesterday, for example, we had no baguettes left to sell by 3pm.” The store closes five hours later. The bakery sported newly-applied black lines on the floor, improvised with lengths of tape, to help custom- ers respect the suggested 1m safety distance to limit spreading the virus that has sickened more than 7,700 people and killed 175 in France. A brand-new perspex screen shielded the vendor – wearing la- The country of 67 million people consumes nine billion of the long loaves every year, has an annual competition for the best baguette in Paris, and a special word for the pointy tex gloves but no face mask, and end they chew off on their way home from the baker after work – the crouton. AFP atypically using tongs to handle the bread – from a steady stream of cus- Federation of Bakeries. himself a trained baker, said French took its place as the main source of when people are worried about ob- tomers. “We’ve seen people come in who bread consumption has decreased nutrition. taining food . . . the return to bread is “We have people who normally want to buy 50 baguettes at a time. dramatically – from about 600 “Even in the worst kind of crisis in some sense a quasi-instinctive or take a half a baguette or one ba- There’s something like a psychosis grammes per person per day in 1900 the baker has to be open, like the almost atavistic return to something guette per day, who are now taking in some people.” to about 80 grammes today. fire station, like the pharmacy, like familiar,” said Kaplan. four or five to freeze them in case Labbe said there need be no con- But despite bread no longer being the hospital,” said Kaplan. Dominique Anract, president of even stricter confinement measures cern over supply, even as some bak- viewed as a bare essential, it is en- the national confederation of bak- are announced,” said Koriche. ers have taken to placing a limit on grained in French culture, even its ‘Reassuring’ eries and pastry shops, said the in- sales per client. politics – a source of pride and cul- On Monday, President Emmanuel dustry employed 180,000 people in Seven days a week “We have flour, yeast and salt. tural exceptionalism. Macron sought to impress upon the France. On Tuesday, France’s labour min- There is no problem to produce “The welfare state is first sketched French that they were engaged in a “Bread is food, but it is also a so- istry approved a special waiver al- bread.” out in France as a state that assures “war” against the coronavirus, using cial link between people. Some peo- lowing bakeries to be open seven There are 33,000 bakeries in people its bread,” said Kaplan, who the word several times in a televised ple have the habit of coming to the days a week instead of the legal limit France, one to about 2,000 people lives in Paris. address to the nation. bakery every day for a chat.” of six days. on average, but most neighbour- “Bakeries have always been a qua- “In a war context we are confined, For the French, “bread is a reas- “The waiver will allow the French hoods boast several – sometimes si public service,” he added, noting we have an enemy – the enemy is suring staple food even though with to buy bread without stress every even in the same street. that during the privations of World invisible but its still the enemy – we globalisation habits have changed,” day,” noted Matthieu Labbe of the US-born historian Steven Kaplan, War One and Two, bread once again have to fight it and in this context he said. AFP Missing sports on TV? Russians count on chess

RUSSIA may have suspended 29-year-old Magnus Carlsen practically feasible”, unless all basketball, football and ice from Norway, who has held ordered by the Russian author- hockey fixtures over the coro- the world’s number 1 place ities. navirus pandemic, but sports since 2013. Photographers are only fans may find solace in a dif- The games between players allowed “a distance of at least ferent competition beginning from countries including the 6 metres from the players,” this week: chess. United States and China are said FIDE, one of the last inter- The 2020 Candidates Tour- being broadcast on a YouTube national sports organisations nament opened in a luxury channel run by the Interna- where Russia maintains an hotel in the Urals city of Yeka- tional Chess Federation (FIDE) influence inherited from the terinburg this week despite a with commentary in Chinese, Soviet Union. large series of suspensions of Russian and English. “Being an elite, eight-player sporting events in Russia and FIDE has banned live spec- tournament, the reduced Europe to prevent the spread tators to limit the risks linked number of participants allows us of Covid-19. to the pandemic, but reported to monitor their personal cir- Europe’s football governing on Twitter Tuesday that one cumstances, health status, and body Uefa said on Tuesday it million virtual spectators had provide them personal atten- was postponing the Euro 2020 tuned in from China. tion,” the tournament said. championship involving 24 It also posted pictures of Moscow on Wednesday nations due to the coronavirus competitors touching elbows reported 147 cases of corona- pandemic. before a game rather than virus with no deaths, accord- The chess tournament that shaking hands. ing to official figures. began on Monday saw eight In March, the organisation Russia has also closed its The chess tournament that began on Monday saw eight players compete for $545,000 and the chance to players compete for $545,000 addressed concerns over the borders to foreigners on face off against the world number one, 29-year-old Magnus Carlsen from Norway, who has held the world’s and the chance to face off virus saying that postpone- Wednesday until May 1 to slow number 1 place since 2013. AFP against the world number one, ment was “not legally and the spread of the virus. AFP 20 THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com Lifestyle Celebs give their tips on how to do social distancing hey’re used to full social cal- British singer Robbie Williams is endars, the gaze of adoring keeping a safe distance from wife fans and being surrounded Ayda Field after returning from a trip by crowds – but in these days to Australia. In a video called “A social ofT corona lockdown, celebrities are distancing love story”, Ayda re-enacts shut indoors just like the rest of us. the world’s most romantic balcony Here’s a look at how the world’s big- scene while Robbie looks on from gest stars are fighting the boredom. below. “Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou?” she asks dramatically. Boateng’s toilet roll kicks “Down here, Juliet. I’m right here,” Bundesliga footballer has started he replies with a wave. a trend by doing kick-ups with a toi- let roll – an item that has become a JLo’s wardrobe change symbol of the coronavirus crisis in Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez many countries thanks to shortages joined Tik Tok’s “flip the switch” caused by stockpiling. clothes-swapping craze, snapping In a video on Instagram, the Bayern herself in a suit and shades while British singer Robbie Williams is keeping a safe distance from wife Ayda Field after returning from a trip to Australia. AFP Munich defender manages an im- her fiance Alex Rodriguez strikes a pressive 20 kicks before the makeshift pose in one of her legendary figure- football finally tumbles to the floor. hugging dresses. Elsewhere, England footballer Elsewhere on Tik Tok, former James Milner shared a tongue-in- “Friends” star Courtney Cox shows off cheek film of himself rationing tea her dance moves under the hashtag bags, setting them out into neat “bored”. piles on his kitchen table, and pre- paring to cut his lawn by measuring Pink and Serena: mums in action the grass with a ruler. US singer Pink shared a handwrit- ten schedule to keep her daughter The Terminator feeds his mini pony Willow and son Jameson entertained Former California governor during the day, including time allot- and “Terminator” actor Arnold ed for yoga, walks and chores – and a Schwarzenegger set Twitter alight later bedtime if the kids “don’t fight”. with a video urging people to stay Also on Instagram, tennis star Ser- home and listen to the experts, ena Williams says she plans to spend while casually feeding carrots to his “the next six weeks in solitude. Be- mini poney Whiskey and donkey ing a wife. Being a mom.” She also Lulu from his kitchen table. plans to make time for face masks and make-up tutorials. Ellen Degeneres tries a puzzle US talk show host Ellen de Generes Lizzo meditates tried her hand at a 4,000-piece jigsaw In one of the more unusual videos, puzzle, sharing her progress on Insta- US singer Lizzo posted a 30-minute gram before admitting it was too tax- meditation session on Instagram, ing. “So much for that plan,” she wrote, complete with a floaty flute recital, before posting a picture of herself re- healing crystals and an ocean sound laxing on the couch with her dogs. machine. “We’re going to take all of this fear and US singer Pink shared a handwritten schedule to keep her daughter Willow and son Jameson entertained during the day, including Robbie Williams: distant lover transmute it into love,” she said. AFP time alloted for yoga, walks and chores – and a later bedtime if the kids ‘don’t fight’.AFP Dating during Covid-19: Chat online, meet a lot later

WITH governments clamping “We don’t know who needs to all very romantic right now,” is far from slowing. Moore, from New York, says The site, OKZoomer, a nod to down on social interactions hear this, but now is NOT the it added. Even if some academics many of the men she meets on the popular expression “Ok to contain the coronavirus time to go out with your date to Dating sites contacted by would like them to suspend Tinder want to cut the conver- boomer” which millennials use spread, dating sites are dis- a bar,” leading match-maker AFP refused to divulge their their activities entirely. sation short and jump straight to refer to older people, picked couraging dates and asking OkCupid tweeted on Monday. traffic since Covid-19 starting “It’s time to shut down Tinder to meeting in the flesh. up 6,500 users in less than a users to get to know each “FaceTime, Skype, call, text, shutting down US cities this and all online dating services,” She thinks it’s a good thing week, according to Valdez. other virtually instead. call, message on our app . . . week but it appears their usage tweeted US writer Matt Stoller. that now men are being forced “Social distancing allows us “No more internet-enabled to chat more first. to focus on conversations and interactions among random building up existing and new people until the #coronavirus ‘One-word answers’ relationships,” the computer crisis has passed,” he added. “That’s something that science student told AFP via Joking about the coronavirus women have always wanted email. has become popular on dating because it’s an opportunity to She feels that the big dating sites, although not necessarily meet someone you like the apps are focused on “hookups,” effective at endearing matches first time but also try to make and argues that OKZoomer to each other. sure that they’re safe,” Moore sets the ground for “meaning- “If someone seems like explained. ful relationships.” they’re not taking the crisis The dating site Coffee Meets For example OKZoomer’s seriously or they’re making fun Bagel (CMB) is proposing sev- algorithm does not prioritize of it for me personally that’s a eral different ideas for remote proximity, unlike most major turnoff,” said comedian and interactions, including an dating sites. author Lane Moore. online video game date. Other sites are emerging too, She helped created the show “This is going to be impor- such as “Quarantine Together,” “Tinder Live,” in which she tant for us to think outside the whose slogan is “Get close even interacts with matches in real box in crazy times like this,” when you can’t be close.” time, and thinks coronavirus said CEO Dawoon Kang. Moore, the comedian, isn’t could be an “opportunity” for CMB is also organizing an convinced that the new coro- people to bond. online group discussion, which navirus will spark a dating “I’m talking to a guy right it has never done before. revolution though. now who I met on Tinder Live Yale University student Ileana “I can imagine that once all and we’re both talking about Valdez and five friends spent of this settles down the men how this coronavirus Covid-19 just a few hours setting up a who don’t really want to be stuff is impacting our lives so dating site for students whose having a conversation will that can be a good way to know classes have been canceled and probably go back to one-word Joking about the coronavirus has reportedly become popular on dating sites. afp somebody,” she said. campuses are deserted. answers.” AFP THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 21

Thinking caps

“MAIL BONDING”

ACROSS 53 ___ Antilles (Virgin 18 Put in long hours 1 Intellectually sharp Islands group) 19 Low-lying land 5 “Immediately!” 57 Gillian’s “The X-Files” role 24 Swear to 9 Food wrap 58 Honey maker 26 Oklahoma city 14 Rat tail? 59 ___ chi ch’uan (martial art) 27 Wonder’s “My Cherie ___” 15 Dove’s site 60 George Washington 28 American mole? 16 Napoleon, for one gave a famous one in 1796 30 Animal foot 17 Flaunt boundaries 65 Do very well (at) 31 Joan ___ 20 Avocado’s center 66 Cuba, to Cubans 32 ___-on (happenings) 21 Agents like Bond 67 Away from the wind, on a yacht 33 Cause to laugh 22 “I double ___ you!” 68 Smiles expansively 34 Jeremy of “Suburgatory” 23 Lash out at 69 Change your story 35 Concepts 25 Flamenco shout 70 Some hair applications 40 Commercial suffix with “Water” 26 Crossed Greek letter DOWN 41 Showed pleasure toward 29 Yap 1 Fraternity letter 44 Haphazard urban expansions 33 “Clueless” phrase 2 Cases that hold pins and needles 48 Unassisted 36 British bombers of WWII 3 Bridge positions 49 Embarrassing way to be caught 37 Flight school achievements 4 Unspecific degree 50 Can’t be without 38 Ankle-showing skirt 5 Academic types 54 Engraved stone pillar 39 Quid pro quos 6 Pirouette pivots 55 Art-studio fixture 42 “The jig ___” 7 Gobbled down 56 Ascends 43 Dealers’ clientele 8 Muscle/bone connection 57 Have an opinion 45 A dunker may grab it 9 She who prognosticates 58 Indonesian tourist destination 46 ___ a one (none) 10 Connection for some big wheels 60 Second mo. 47 Worst part of preparing to mail a 11 “Blame It on ___” (Michael Caine 61 Fire, as a team manager letter, to many flick) 62 “His Master’s Voice” org. 51 Aurora, to Greeks 12 Gran Paradiso, for one 63 ’60s hallucinogen 52 “Anchorman: The Legend of ___ 13 Word between two surnames, for 64 Scrap of cloth Burgundy” women Thursday’s solution

Thursday’s solution 22 THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com Sport

Closed for business. Empty ticket stands in Texas lie in wait while players and managers are tested for the virus. afp

NBA chief defends tests on stars amid controversy BA commissioner Adam “Tests should not be for the Players ‘stir crazy’ Silver defended the wealthy, but for the sick.” The NBA imposed an indefinite league’s swift testing of In an interview with ESPN on suspension on games after Jazz players for the new coro- Wednesday, Silver said a total of eight player Rudy Gobert tested positive Nnavirus on Wednesday as the vast NBA teams had undergone tests. for the coronavirus last week. majority of Americans face long But while Silver acknowledged de Teammate Donovan Mitchell was waits to be tested for the disease. Blasio’s criticism, he defended the also confirmed to have contracted New York City Mayor Bill de Bla- decision to test players, saying the the disease. sio slammed NBA teams for being NBA was acting on advice of public Silver said the league had acted able to access Covid-19 tests after health authorities. swiftly after the initial clusters of it emerged four members of the “I of course understand his point positive cases was confirmed. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks to the media during a press conference. afp Brooklyn Nets, including superstar in that it is unfortunate we are in “We followed health officials and Kevin Durant had tested positive. this position that it’s triage when it doctors recommendations that we we were following directives.” league’s hiatus. Several NBA teams including the comes to testing, so the fundamen- looked at that group of teams that were Silver said he believed of the play- “I’m optimistic by nature and I want Nets, Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics, To- tal issue obviously is that there are most proximate to the initial teams ers who have so far tested positive, to believe we’re going to be able to sal- ronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lak- insufficient tests,” Silver said. that had tested positive, and the circle none were in danger. vage at least a portion of this season. ers have been tested for the illness “I’d only say in the case of the NBA expanded from there,” Silver said. “Two the best of my knowledge two “The players are going stir crazy, in private facilities despite shortages is that we’ve been following the recom- “We’ve had eight full NBA teams had mild symptoms while the others they want to play, they want to com- of testing kits. mendations of public health officials.” that have been tested now and remained asyptomatic,” he said. pete. We’re going to try by any means “We wish them a speedy recovery,” de US authorities have come under fire members of other teams that were Silver meanwhile would not be we can to play basketball again. Blasio said of the Nets players on Twitter. for lagging behind in deploying test showing symptoms. drawn on when he expected the “But the safety and health of our “But, with all due respect, an entire kits, which health experts have said “I understand from a public 2019-2020 season to resume. players comes first. That will be the NBA team should NOT get tested for allowed the virus to spread beyond health standpoint why some people “I honestly don’t have a sense of condition upon which we can play – Covid-19 while there are critically ill the country’s ability to detect it. have reacted the way they did, but I how long a period this is going to when public health officials say we patients waiting to be tested. would say from an NBA standpoint be,” he said when asked about the can play.” afp Hearts ask players, staff to accept 50 per cent pay cut HEARTS have asked their players and their pay at the end of the month. ate action to cut staff costs and over- staff to accept their pay being cut by The club insists that no-one’s pay heads.” half in order to stave off troubles will fall below the United Kingdom’s Hearts’ shock measures came on brought on by the coronavirus pan- National Living Wage, the lowest rate the day Scottish Football Association demic, the Scottish Premiership club of pay for workers aged 25 and president Rod Petrie announced an said Wednesday. over. immediate £1.5 million fund to help Owner Ann Budge has taken the clubs and academies. drastic cost-cutting measure amid Shock measures SPFL chief executive Neil Doncas- financial fears that football will be “Given the uncertainty of the whole ter had previously warned of “dire out of action for months due to the situation with which we have been financial consequences” for Scottish pandemic. presented, we cannot say how long clubs if they were unable to generate Currently sitting bottom of the Pre- these measures will be in place,” money from ticket sales. miership, Hearts are the first British Budge added. “I am pleased to announce the top-flight club to decide on wage Budge explained the dire situation immediate cash payments to mem- cuts in a bid to stay afloat. was the result of the unprecedented bers of Club Licensing and Club “We have asked all full-time virus mayhem, which she said could Academy Scotland amounts which employees, managers, coaches, play- stop play until August. were budgeted to be paid later this ers and player back-room staff, with Raheem Sterling (L) vies with Hearts Australian defender Ryan McGowan during the “The Scottish FA has now suspend- year,” Petrie said. effect from the beginning of April, to UEFA Europa League Qualifying Play-Off. afp ed football for the foreseeable future “The combined amount forward accept a 50% cut in their monthly and, whilst there is no specified end funded in this way is approximately salary,” Budge told Hearts’ website. Budge stated earlier this week her against Hibernian at Hampden Park, date to this, it is most likely that the £1.5million ($2 million, which we “Staff and players alike, who feel club would lose £1 million ($1.16 would have earned the Edinburgh game will not resume until July/ believe will be of great support to unable or unwilling to accept this million) in income from postponed side a seven-figure sum. early August at the earliest,” she clubs who face uncertainty and, revision to their contracts, will, of games over the coming weeks. Hearts staff have been told they said. worse still, a significant loss of rev- course, be offered the option of con- Four remaining home league will receive their salaries as normal “This reduction in income is not enue as a result of the impact of coro- tract termination.” games, plus a Scottish Cup semi-final next week, while players will receive sustainable without taking immedi- navirus in Scotland.” afp THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com 23 Sport Asian golfers to ‘lose out’ if Olmpics still on

he Olympics going “I feel for the guys who ahead in Tokyo this Olympics ‘highly unlikely’ just came through qualifying year is “highly unlike- On current rankings, only school and they’ve probably ly”, the boss of Asian Thailand’s Jazz Janewat- played one or two events in golfT told AFP, and proceeding tananond and Gunn Charoen- their life. as planned could cost players kul, the Indian pair of Rashid “It’s very different to having a the chance to qualify. Khan and Udayan Mane plus bad season where you’re miss- The International Olympic Miguel Tabuena of the Phil- ing cuts, but you still have got Committee said this week ippines would represent the the opportunity to compete. it was “fully committed” to Asian Tour in the 60-strong “Right now you’re deprived holding the Games from July Tokyo field. of the opportunity to com- 24 despite the coronavirus “Given the amount of golf pete. That’s a whole different pandemic, but acknowledged that was left to be played, we ballgame.” there was no “ideal” solution were hopeful that more play- as pressure mounted for a ers from nations like Bangla- Calendar shift postponement. desh, Malaysia, Indonesia and The Asian Tour can play all- Asian Tour Commissioner the Philippines would have year round, which means the and CEO Cho Minn Thant the opportunity to get into the crisis could lead to a perma- confirmed that all tourna- Olympics over the next two or nent shift in the Asian golfing ments across the continent three months,” said Cho. calendar to a wraparound sea- had been suspended until at “Obviously, that’s not going son played from September to least the end of May, in line to happen. April. with the US PGA and Euro- “I can understand why they “A tour like Europe’s going to pean Tours. would want to push forward have a lot harder time resched- “I think everyone right now with the Olympics – there’d be uling events. Theirs is a very is more in a state of shock, just huge revenue ramifications short golf season,” Cho said. trying to figure out what they on the economy of Japan – but “I’m hoping that we can con- do with themselves,” said Cho, it seems highly unlikely now tinue golf this year, whether it speaking by telephone from in my opinion.” be July, September, October Asian Tour headquarters in Cho said that he hadn’t yet or November. It will definitely Singapore. heard of any players suffer- help mitigate the potential With the prospect of scarce- ing financial hardship but ac- downside. ly any competitive golf before knowledged that a long layoff “If we could start between the Olympic rankings quali- could have an impact. July and October, it means fying cut-off on June 22, Cho Players such as the world we will probably go through said it would be harsh on number 39 Jazz, last year’s to April. We’ve been planning players from unheralded golf Asian Tour order of merit a wraparound season for the nations. winner, will remain in the US longest time but never really “Our plan initially was to where he had been due to play formalised it. have about 16 or 17 tourna- a full schedule before a debut “We’re talking to sponsors ments before the Olympic at the now-postponed US and promoters. They’re defi- cut-off,” Cho said. “Today, we Masters next month. nitely ready to go. They’re pre- probably have only about four “I keep in contact with quite pared to stage events when- or five Asian Tour players eli- a few players and a lot of them ever the world is ready to get gible for the Olympics.” are comfortable,” Cho said. back to normal.” Cho Minn Thant, the chief operating officer of Asian Tour Golf tees off. afp

May return for Serie A says Italian Chief ATP, WTA seasons Italian football federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina expressed suspended his hope on Wednesday Serie A would resume on May 2 with a possible finish until June 7 in July at the latest. All Italian sport has been suspended he ATP and WTA tennis until April 3 as a result of the coronavi- competitions have rus pandemic which has killed 2,978 Textended the suspen- people in the country and forced the sion of their seasons until postponement of Euro 2020. June 7 due to the coronavi- “I don’t even want to think that we rus pandemic, the two tour won’t start again, it would be a hiatus, organisers announced on it would worry me for our country,” Wednesday. Gravina told Italian radio. “The professional tennis “We’re working on the hypothesis of season is now suspended starting again on May 2 and completing through 7 June 2020, inclu- the championships possibly going into ding the ATP Challenger Tour July if we don’t achieve it by June 30. and ITF (International Tennis “In the event that it’s impossible to use Federation) World Tennis all the windows as planned, we will Tour,” the ATP and WTA said resort to a change in the format of the in a joint statement. competitions.” At this time, tournaments The FIGC president welcomed the taking place from 8 June postponement of the European Cham- 2020 onwards are still plan- pionship until 2021, stating as far as ning to go ahead as per the they were concerned “national cham- published schedule.” pionships have priority”. The announcement tempo- “We don’t want to penalise anyone, rarily shuts down the men’s but just as we evaluate format changes and women’s European clay in the event of a reduction of the win- court season a day after the dows to play, so UEFA must do so by French Open was pushed remodelling the Champions and Europa President of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Gabriele Gravina poses with the federation’s logo. afp back to September. League,” added Gravina. It also further pushes back The Champions League final is open doors.” Meanwhile, Italian Olympic Com- understand if Tokyo 2020 can take the restart to the tennis scheduled to take place on June 27 and Eight teams have 13 Serie A games left mittee (CONI) chief Giovanni Malago place as scheduled, we cannot go season as both tours were the Europa League final on June 24. to play with the remainder having 12, confirmed an extraordinary council of beyond the last week of May or the already shut down, with the Italy’s sports minister Vincenzo with four Italian sides still in European their body would take place on March first week of June,” Malago told Sky ATP last week originally hal- Spadafora backed Gravina’s estimation competition, and a Coppa Italia semi- 26 with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics up for Sports Italia. ting proceedings until April “that Serie A can resume on May 3”. final, second round match and final still discussion. “Health comes first and foremost, 27 and the WTA announcing “At least that’s what we hope for,” to be played. “There is no deadline for the Olym- common sense must prevail. We don’t no play until May 2 on Mon- said Spadafora. “We will then assess pics, but in the minds of those who know how long this health crisis will day. afp whether it will be behind closed or No Olympic ‘deadline’ know our world, we know that to last.” afp 24 THE PHNOM PENH POST march 20, 2020 www.phnompenhpost.com Sport ‘Business as usual’ - Aussie Super Rugby still training USTRALIAN Super “Training is back to normal, Rugby players in- people are just getting on sisted it’s “business with things.” as usual” as they re- “People are pretty happy sumedA training despite a cor- to be here, there’s plenty of onavirus shutdown that has toilet paper, there’s plenty of left the competition facing an food so everyone’s enjoying uncertain future. themselves,” he added, after The southern hemisphere panic-buying of toilet roll club championship, which and other items at Australian features 15 teams from five supermarkets. countries, was halted last Super Rugby sides are the weekend after New Zealand only rugby teams cleared to Reds’ Scott Malolua passes the ball during the Super Rugby match at Suncorp Stadium, the last game played bythe Queenslanders. afp and Australia imposed strict train in Australia, with all travel rules to prevent the club and community games limit any potential spread,” he spread of Covid-19. suspended until May. told Rugby Australia’s website. Only seven of the 18 rounds Two members of the Aus- “As long as we’re careful have been completed, with tralian Sevens team were this with the way we operate, we governing body Sanzaar week cleared of Covid-19, should be able to stay ready looking at whether domestic but a Sydney University first- with whatever happens next games can be played as an al- grade player tested positive at in the competition, with po- ternative. the weekend. tential domestic games,” he It could see Australia’s Waratahs assistant coach added. Queensland Reds, NSW Chris Whitaker said daily tem- Rugby Australia chief Rael- Waratahs, Melbourne Rebels perature checks were in place ene Castle admitted this week and the ACT Brumbies facing for players, with training giv- that one positive test could each other, but without spec- ing them “a bit of a break to spell the end of Super Rugby tators after the Australian the whole coronavirus thing”. this season. government banned large Brumbies lock Cadeyrn Experts say Super Rugby, gatherings. Neville also said it business which has been forced to “So this is week one of Su- as usual, but admitted it was axe teams after an over-am- per Rugby being suspended odd not having a game at the bitious expansion, will face over the coronavirus out- end of the week. serious problems if the sea- break. It’s business as usual “The things we know – no son is scrapped and member mostly,” Melbourne Rebels games for at least two weeks, countries have to pay back winger Harry Potter said in a non-essential staff are not tens of millions of dollars in video clip posted on Twitter. here at the minute, just to broadcast fees. afp Reds’ Taniela Tupou (L) and Harry Hoopert (R) celebrate their victory following. afp

Injury forces Aussies eye T20 double as men’s cup still on Aussie Wade CRICKET Australia is aiming to to pull pin on hold the men’s Twenty20 World Cup as scheduled this year Somerset despite the escalating corona- virus pandemic, but admitted ig-hitting Australian the situation is fluid. batsman Matthew Wade The tournament is due to get BThursday abandoned plans underway in October at seven to play with English country side venues across the country with the Somerset after being advised to West Indies defending their title. rest an injured knee. Despite the rest of this The 32-year-old had been year’s Australian cricket sea- scheduled to pad-up for the first son being cancelled this week half of the English summer, but due to spiralling virus fears, said Cricket Australia had told to plans for the World Cup him to recuperate. remain unchanged. “It’s a big blow,” said Wade, “We’re really hoping that all who is a regular in the Australian forms of sport can be played Test team. again in a few weeks’ or a few “I was looking forward to the months’ time,” CA chief Kevin challenge of playing county Roberts said late Tuesday. cricket, but after discussions with “None of us are experts in the Cricket Australia medical this situation obviously, so our The women’s team have already played and won. Captain Meg Lanning (C) with teammates celebrating the women’s cricket World Cup. afp team, regrettably, it became clear hope is that we’re back in very that I wouldn’t be in a position to much back to normal circum- just last week,” he added. the government banning out- announced it would halt all inter- But he said emergency plan- join Somerset.” stances come October and Australia swept to their fifth door gatherings of more than national flights later this month. ning for Covid-19 was the The county season is due to November when the men’s T20 women’s T20 World Cup title 500 people and indoor groups In addition to the World higher priority. start on April 12, but the corona- World Cup is to be played. on March 8, crushing India by of more than 100. Cup, Australia is due to host “We’re moving now from virus epidemic may force it to be “And at this stage we’re plan- 85 runs in front of more than Australia has reported more India and Afghanistan for management of the onset of postponed. ning on November 15, to have 86,000 fans at the Melbourne than 500 confirmed cases of Test series this year with Rob- coronavirus as a critical inci- The BBC said the England and a full house at the MCG [for the Cricket Ground. coronavirus, with the increase in erts telling cricket.com.au he dent, to how do we guarantee Wales Cricket Board were due to final] to inspire the world Since then, a host of sports infections accelerating daily. hoped to announce the 2020- the continuity of our business meet on Thursday to discuss the through men’s cricket as the in Australia have cancelled or There have been six deaths and 2021 season schedule next and our organisation beyond situation. afp women’s cricketers did here suspended their activities with airline Qantas Thursday month as planned. that,” he said. afp