TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2021 Intelligent . In-depth . Independent Issue Number 3622 / 4000 RIEL Covid QR code logs 100K Mom Kunthear to Covid-19. People who had visited the ported 24 more cases of Covid-19 linked were linked to the February 20 com- location could quickly be identified. to the February 20 community trans- munity transmission have recovered HE Ministry of Posts and Tel- “Data from the system also shows mission, bringing the total to 501. and been discharged from hospital. ecommunications said 12 who should be in self-quarantine, The 24 include five Vietnamese na- Among the seven are three Chinese HUNDREDS RALLY days since the “Stop Covid- and if they have left home [despite tionals and seven Cambodians, with nationals and four Cambodians. 19” QR code was introduced, quarantine]. This reveals that they the rest being Chinese. As of March 8, Cambodia had re- AFTER POULTRY T99,224 locations have registered and have violated quarantine,” it said. Of the 24 patients, three are receiving corded a total of 1,011 Covid-19 cases, people have scanned the code nearly The ministry reiterated its call for treatment in Kandal province, 12 in with 493 receiving ongoing treatment. PLANT PLUCKS five million times. individuals who are in self-quaran- Phnom Penh, one each in Kampong Separately, Kampong Cham Pro- The ministry announced on March 8 tine not to leave home or quarantine Cham and Kampong Thom provinces, vincial Administration has appealed 32 FROM JOBS that through the use of the system, scan- facilities for the mandatory 14 days in and the rest in Preah Sihanouk province. to people who have been in close or NATIONAL – page 3 ners could receive information about a order to stop the spread of the virus. In a press release, the ministry also location that might have been exposed The Ministry of Health on March 8 re- said seven Covid-19 whose cases CONTINUED – page 3 Swiss okay free trade deal with RISING SHIPPING COSTS TAKING Indonesia SWISS voters on March 7 narrow- THE BITE OUT OF ly backed a free trade deal signed with Indonesia, opening up a vast MANGO EXPORTS potential market with the world’s BUSINESS – page 7 fourth most populous country. Controversy surrounding the importation of Indonesian palm oil and its sustainability fuelled enough concern in Switzerland to trigger a public vote on the agreement. But the deal scraped through the public approval test with 51.7 per cent of the vote, on a 51 per cent turnout. Supporters voiced relief at the result but said they would have to be more sensitive to environmen- tal issues in any future votes on trade agreements. HUMAN TRAGEDY: Under the deal, tariffs will be gradually removed from almost all NO PEACE AFTER of Switzerland’s biggest exports to Indonesia, while the Swiss will WAR IN SYRIA abolish duties on Indonesian industrial products. TEN YEARS ON Salty tears Anyone importing Indonesian With just over 20,000 tonnes of salt delivered during the ongoing harvest season in Kampot province, prospects are WORLD – PAGE 10 palm oil must prove that it meets dim for a repeat of last year’s 85,000-tonne result. Sunday night’s showers have reportedly caused the harvest to be STORY > 6 certain environmental and social suspended for a while. HENG CHIVOAN standards. The agreement was signed in 2018 and approved by the Swiss parlia- ment in 2019, but opponents were especially critical of Bern’s move to Trade deficit with VN shrinks 6% reduce palm oil import duties and secured a public vote on the deal. May Kunmakara $3.054 the previous year, from $2.382 billion in 2019. “I’d even go as far as to say Palm oil is a key ingredient in a according to Ministry of Cambodia Chamber of that neighbouring countries wide range of products from food CAMBODIA narrowed its Commerce statistics. Commerce vice-president Lim are the best export destina- to cosmetics, but it has long been trade deficit with neighbour Cambodia exported $385.79 Heng told The Post on March tions due to their easy [acces- controversial. and fellow ASEAN member million worth of goods to 8 that neighbouring countries sibility] for our commodities Environmentalists say it drives TREES TURNED state Vietnam last year even Vietnam in 2020, surging offer the Kingdom a hot mar- – agricultural products for deforestation, with huge swathes as the Covid-19 pandemic 14.88 per cent from $335.82 ket for agricultural goods. the most part such as paddy, of rainforest logged in recent dec- SACRED MONKS triggered tighter border million in 2019, and imported “The surge in our exports to corn, rubber and legumes. ades to make way for plantations. control over fears of spread- $2.634 billion, down 3.10 per Vietnam reflects the commit- “And while we chiefly ship The deal contains exceptions for VIA CEREMONIAL ing the novel coronavirus. cent from $2.718 billion. ment between our two gov- out raw materials, things agricultural products, notably to Trade between the King- The Kingdom’s trade defi- ernments in promoting cross- remains all in all good for our protect Switzerland’s sunflower ORDINATION RITES dom and Vietnam was worth cit with Vietnam reduced to border trade and above all the farmers. If we didn’t have and rapeseed oil production. $3.020 billion in 2020, inch- $2.248 billion, marking a advancement of people [who LIFESTYLE – page 13 ing down 1.1 per cent from nearly six per cent drop live in] border [areas]. CONTINUED – page 6 CONTINUED – page 7 THE PHNOM PENH POST Don’t miss our NewMinistry census doubles analysis down reveals on SpecialNational Report commitmentdrop in domestic to Preymigration Lang InsideInside page page 5 5 2 THE PHNOM PENH POST MARCH 9, 2021 WWW.phnompenhpost.COM National Bald head slap More aid sent to border provinces viral video ends Long Kimmarita in pair arrested HROY Changvar commune police RIME Minister Hun Sen arrested two young men on March approved the provision of C8 after they were filmed riding more supplies and food as- together on a motorcycle along a public sistance to the seven prov- road as one of them hit a foreign man in Pinces bordering Thailand to meet the head with his hand as they drove past. the daily consumption needs of re- The video of the assault was posted to turning migrant workers. social media and went viral quickly. Meanwhile, authorities in the Chroy Changvar commune police border provinces are continuing chief Chan Bunthoeun identified the two to bring workers in good health suspects as Lim Hong Leng – a 18-year- to quarantine in their respective old Grade 11 student living in a rented hometown rather than at centres house in Kien Khleang village of Chroy established along the border due to Changvar commune – and Rith Chan- crowding concerns. dara, a 17-year-old living in a rented The inventory of items to be pro- house in Mouy village of Chroy Changvar vided includes mosquito nets, blan- commune. kets, pillows, bedding, sarongs and The two suspects were quickly identi- scarves, 56,100 personal hygiene fied by acquaintances on social media kits, 68,000 cases of drinking water and the district police chief assigned and 29,200 cases of instant noodles. Chroy Changvar commune police officers These supplies had been re- to locate them. quested by authorities in the border “The two suspects have been sent to provinces where returning migrant the Russey Keo district police station. workers must undergo 14-day quar- For any further actions taken in this antine in designated centres. matter, that is under their jurisdiction,” Ministry of Health secretary of he said. state York Sambath told local media Bunthoeun said the suspects had that financial assistance for the bor- confessed that before the assault, they der provinces was also included to were out getting drunk and were driving be used for maintaining quarantine home when they saw a foreign man with centres and for transporting work- a bald head riding a bicycle in the same ers back to their home provinces af- direction they were headed. Migrant workers receive aid at a quarantine centre in Banteay Meanchey province’s Serei Sophoan town. BANTEAY MEANCHEY ADMINISTRATION ter they complete quarantine. Leng confessed that he drove next to Hun Sen recently told the military support of our returning migrant “After we received the new orders, the situation using ad hoc solutions the foreigner and Chandara slapped the to transport workers who appear to workers,” he said. the number of those who will go to He said if these measures were in- man on the head with as much force as be in good health to their hometowns His province also received about our quarantine centres will change, cluded in a national policy, he would he could. While they were doing this, to undergo quarantine there. He said 20,000 cases of instant noodles and because we will take some of them look to see some independent mon- two or three of their other friends were the decision was made in order to more than 20,000 cases of water and out of the centres and send them to itoring of the migrant return process hanging back waiting to record the action. ease the pressure on the quarantine canned fish. their hometown,” he said. and permanent quarantine centres Afterwards they all shouted and laughed centres in the border provinces. On March 8, around 1,000 people Dy Thehoya, Centre for Alliance of and accommodations should be at the foreigner and then drove away. Banteay Meanchey provincial had arrived at their homes and Labour and Human Rights Migrant prepared to avoid irregularities.