WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2021 Intelligent . In-depth . Independent Issue Number 3583 / 4000 RIEL PHNOM PENH POLICE GDT: TAX REVENUE EMERGENCY IMPOSED CEASE IMPOUNDING COLLECTION NEAR IN MALAYSIA TO CURB BIG MOTORCYCLES $3 BILLION IN 2020 SPREAD OF COVID-19 NATIONAL – page 2 BUSINESS – page 7 WORLD – page 10 Littered face New Year’s babies expected masks pose fatal hazard to live longer, UNICEF says for wildlife MASKS that helped save lives Long Kimmarita during the Covid-19 pandem- ic are proving a deadly hazard NICEF has estimated that for wildlife, with birds and nearly 1,000 babies were marine creatures ensnared in born on January 1 this year the staggering number of dis- in the Kingdom, and their carded facial coverings litter- Upredicted life expectancy of 81 years ing animal habitats. is significantly higher than the gen- Single-use surgical masks erations before them. have been found scattered Marking its 75th anniversary, around pavements, waterways UNICEF has dedicated this year to and beaches worldwide since “reimagining a better world for chil- countries began mandating dren”, noting in a press release on New their use in public places to Year’s day that an anticipated 371,504 slow the pandemic’s spread. babies would be born worldwide on Worn once, the thin protec- that day to inaugurate the new year. tive materials can take hun- Over half of those births were pre- dreds of years to decompose. dicted to take place in just 10 coun- “Face masks aren’t going away tries: India (59,995), China (35,615), any time soon – but when we Nigeria (21,439), Pakistan (14,161), throw them away, these items Indonesia (12,336), Ethiopia (12,006), can harm the environment and the US (10,312), Egypt (9,455), Bang- the animals who share our plan- ladesh (9,236) and the Democratic et,” Ashley Fruno of US-based Republic of the Congo (8,640). animal rights group PETA said. Bunly Meas, communication special- Macaques have been spot- ist for UNICEF Cambodia, told The Post ted chewing the straps off old on January 12 that estimates of births and tossed-aside masks in the and life expectancies in 236 countries hills outside Malaysia’s capital and territories were extrapolated based Kuala Lumpur – a potential on demographic and household survey choking hazard for the dimin- data and the UN’s World Population utive monkeys. UNICEF estimates that Cambodians born on January 1 this year will have an average life expectancy of 81 years. HONG MENEA Prospects report from 2019. Complete And in an incident that cap- data is available on their website. sanitation, protection from abuse, She said: “2020 [was] a challenging Cambodian children to grow up in. Each tured headlines in Britain, a He described conditions which con- access to legal representation – these year for all, especially children. Yet, of them deserves the chance to fulfil gull was rescued by the RSPCA tribute to life expectancy estimates, and other services are constantly Cambodia was successful in contain- their potential in life, and we pledge to in the city of Chelmsford after saying greater longevity is made pos- improving, and if the children born this ing the pandemic and keeping Covid- work tirelessly towards that goal.” its legs had become tangled in sible when children are given fair and new year can enjoy the results of this 19 cases lower than most countries, UNICEF noted that the world still the straps of a disposable mask equal opportunities to survive and progress, their lifespans may reach the and we are hopeful that the same faces unprecedented challenges relat- for up to a week. grow, including exposure to a preserved age UNICEF predicts,” Meas said. trend can be maintained. ed to the pandemic, including eco- The animal welfare charity and unpolluted natural environment. Foroogh Foyouzat, UNICEF repre- “Working closely with the govern- nomic recessions triggered by suspen- was alerted after the bird was “From birth, adequate health care, sentative in Cambodia, welcomed “a ment, development partners, and the sion of civil rights by governments as spotted, motionless but still nutrition, vaccines, education from thousand beautiful new babies into people of Cambodia, UNICEF will con- well as rising poverty and widening kindergarten, access to clean water and Cambodia this New Year’s Day”. tinue to reimagine a better world for income inequality. CONTINUED – page 11 B’bang bird flu scare triggers inspections, cullings Orm Bunthoeurn commune as the site of the infection. Specialists will conduct a 30-day Test results of a sample taken at the farmers had been instructed to bury According to the statement, the study of the origins of the outbreak and farm confirmed on January 11 the dead birds and were prohibited from AN OUTBREAK of avian influenza, General Directorate of Animal Health regularly monitor the movements of presence of bird flu pathogens. eating or selling them. commonly known as bird flu, has and Production would implement birds within a 10km radius of the area. Vachira called on people with poul- He suspected that the most likely been found in Battambang province, measures to cull all kinds of animals Provincial agriculture department try farms to report to the nearest agri- source of the outbreak was from prompting officials to issue tempo- in the outbreak area in accordance director Chhim Vachira said on Janu- culture department or bureau if they migrating wild birds coming into rary restrictions pending inspections with pertinent veterinary protocols. ary 12 that deaths of birds had been notice sick or dead animals so that close proximity with farmed animals, and disposal of infected animals. A commercial quarantine has been reported at the Hou Nam family poul- specialists can intervene. thereby spreading the virus. On January 12, the Ministry of Agri- imposed within a 3km radius of the try farm since January 5. Specialists Pen Setha, veterinary office direc- “We examined their facilities and culture, Forestry and Fisheries issued outbreak area, suspending sales, had been sent to inspect the site, dis- tor for the agriculture department, determined that the illness could a prakas declaring Ta Chreng village import and export of all kinds of ani- pose of dead birds and spray disin- inspected 1,300 chickens in the area in Ek Phnom district’s Prek Norint mals until further notice. fectant on the farm. from January 5-7. He explained that CONTINUED – page 3 THE PHNOM PENH POST ACU tots up nearly 20K asset National declarations from officials Inside page 3 2 THE PHNOM PENH POST JANUARY 13, 2021 WWW.phnompenhpost.COM National Union helps resolve complaints brought Police cease impounding big against journalists bikes with loud exhaust pipes Soth Koemsoeun politics and contribute to the advancement of the nation’s Nov Sivutha THE Union of Journalist Fed- prestige and excellence. erations of Cambodia (UJFC) “In our country, the press is HNOM Penh munici- intervened to resolve 33 cases free and open, but some indi- pal police chief Sar last year where complaints viduals have a limited under- Thet has ordered po- were brought against Cambo- standing of their rights and lice forces in the capi- dian journalists, according to freedoms. If we all know and Ptal’s 14 districts to temporarily a report issued on January 11. understand our rights well, halt the practice of stopping Stating that the UJFC inter- no one will stop us or obstruct large motorcycles that he said vened only in cases in which it our freedom so long as we act are unusually noisy or loud. received formal requests from in accordance with the law The order remains in effect media organisations, the re- without infringing upon the until further notice. port noted that its scope was rights of others,” he said. This is a temporary sus- limited to those instances, ex- Ministry of Information pension of the order given cluding cases other than those spokesman Phos Sovann said on January 8 by Minister of where the union was involved. on January 12 that he had not Interior Sar Kheng. He had The UJFC noted that most yet seen the report, but as a ordered police forces and the complaints derived from cas- government official, he would Ministry of Public Works and es of disseminating details of not focus only on one narrow Transport to intercept all mo- land disputes and locations of issue but would consider all torcycles that were noisy and crimes. There were no com- facts within a broader context disturbing the peace. plaints, however, about the to find solutions. The new directive came af- publishing of opinions or de- Sovann claimed that some ter municipal police recently scriptions of political issues. journalists intended to devi- intercepted 60 motorcycles “The complaints that were ate from ethical standards, alleged to have exhaust pipes Big motorbikes impounded at Meanchey district police station. POLICE filed alleged criminal offences, putting personal motives that had been modified to even in disputes between jour- ahead of professionalism. make them noisier. According municipal governor Khuong Provincial traffic police Hopefully by tomorrow or the nalists. This indicates a very “Although our press free- to the police, the sounds had Sreng urged all district authori- chief Sat Kimsan said he had day after tomorrow,” he said. low level of attention to the dom is very open, some jour- disturbed people and were ties to maintain peace and public told the Traffic Police Bureau Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) press law,” the report stated. nalists should learn more contrary to the maintenance order for Phnom Penh residents. to educate the motorcycles’ Foundation director Kim UJFC president Huy Vannak about professional ethics to of public order. Citing recent cases where owners and instruct them to Panha supported the initiative (pictured) said on January 12 avoid making mistakes when Thet said on January 12 that police intercepted 60 motor- stop such activities.