Day: June 29, 2021

National Tourism Development Committee has endorsed the draft Mondulkiri tourism development master plan 2021-2035, according to the committee’s press release AKP received today.
The endorsement was made in a meeting held on June 28 under the chairmanship of H.E. Aun Pornmoniroth, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Finance and Chairman of the National Tourism Development Committee.
Under the plan, Mondulkiri province is set as an international standard eco-tourism destination and a key supplier of flowers, vegetable, and fruits for domestic demand and export.
The province is expected to welcome 900,000 foreign arrivals and 2 million domestic tourists by 2035, creating 80,000 job opportunities and generating US$500 million direct income and US$1,000 million indirect income.
The master plan will contribute to turning the northeastern area with Mondulkiri province as the core into the country’s fourth economic pole after Phnom Penh capital, the coastal area, and Siem Reap province, and to integrating Mondulkiri with other areas of the country and in the region.
It also underlines the importance of the balance between economic and tourism development and the conservation of natural resources and cultural heritage of the indigenous people.
The final draft will be made for submitting to the Royal Government for approval in the near future.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, President of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), this afternoon attended the Roundtable Conference on the “the Role of Russia and ASEAN’s Responsible Political Forces in Strengthening the Architecture of Security and Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific”.
On the occasion, Samdech Techo Hun Sen expressed his sincere appreciation to the United Russia Party for organising this event.
“This Roundtable Conference is very timely to assert the critical roles of political parties in maintaining a world order that values cooperation over confrontation, solidarity over division, and development over destruction,” said Samdech Techo Hun Sen in his remarks. “It is indeed a significant platform for all of us to be united in sending a strong and resolute message in rejecting the new Cold War mentality, and making efforts to create space for cooperation beyond geopolitical divide.”
H.E. Dmitry Medvedev, Chairman of the United Russia Party, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, other Chairmen and representatives of ASEAN’s Political Parties were also present at the virtual Roundtable Conference.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press

Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen reaffirmed Cambodia’s stance on ASEAN-Russia relations, while attending the Roundtable Conference on “The Role of Russia and ASEAN’s Responsible Political Forces in Strengthening the Architecture of Security and Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific” held this afternoon by Videoconference.
“I reiterate Cambodia’s strong commitment to the promotion of the ASEAN-Russia dialogue relations especially when Cambodia will undertake the important role as the Country Coordinator for our dialogue relations starting from August 2021,” he underlined.
“Cambodia pins our hope on the roles of political parties of ASEAN and Russia as we address the challenges together, and make efforts to create a better world for friendship, cooperation, peace and sustainable development”, he added.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen said this year is a special year as we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of ASEAN-Russia dialogue relations. Cambodia is proud of the solid and progressive cooperation between Russia and ASEAN. Indeed, Russia has been an important partner in maintaining peace, security and stability in the region. At the same time, Russia has been ranked the eighth largest trading partner of ASEAN. Positive momentum in the areas of trade and investment has also been demonstrated over the last few years. Moreover, a number of initiatives in the areas of finance, education, Business-to-Business contacts and youth exchange have been implemented and added value to our cooperation on people-to-people connectivity.
With this strong basis of cooperation, Samdech Techo Hun Sen also shared a few thoughts on how ASEAN and Russia political parties could shape the architecture of security and cooperation in the Asia Pacific:
“First and foremost, we need to focus on our most pressing task, that is the fight against COVID-19. We need to take it as a common mission of humanity to save lives from the deadly pandemic, and any forms of political disruptions should be avoided.
Second, in the post-COVID-19 crisis, we have to jointly promote a resilient recovery. I am optimistic that Russia and ASEAN can do a lot more collectively in this regard through enhancing trade, investment, and tourism flows, among others. In this connection, I would like to underline the importance of Russia’s engagement with ASEAN, particularly in supporting the implementation of the five broad strategies of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF).
Third, we need to double down our efforts to promote the UN-Centred International System and an open, fair, stable and predictable regional architecture in the Asia-Pacific based on the principles of mutual respect, mutual understanding, non-interference, and win-win cooperation. To this end, I must reiterate our full adherence to our ASEAN Centrality, which is an indispensable principle in driving multilateral diplomacy in our part of the world.
Fourth, we need to promote practical cooperation on issues that bind us together, instead of those that divide us while acknowledging the need to maintain platforms for open and frank dialogues on our differences. We need to focus on cooperation that promotes building trust and confidence because strategic narratives built on trust are essential to counter the narratives driven by the Cold War mentality. Areas such as peacekeeping operations, cyber security, natural disaster management, and climate change can be a good starting point of such cooperation.
Fifth, on cultural aspect, I wish to extend my full support to the ‘Cultural Marathon’ initiated by the United Russia Party, which is in line with Cambodia’s vision on building ‘Cultural Corridors’ to promote peace, harmony, and shared prosperity.”

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press

Samdech Vibol Sena Pheakdei Say Chhum, President of the Senate of Cambodia, received here this morning a farewell visit from outgoing Vietnamese Ambassador H.E. Vu Quang Minh.
At the meeting, Samdech Say Chhum expressed his highly appreciation to H.E. Vu Quang Minh’s diplomatic mission in Cambodia which has contributed to strengthening and expanding the friendship, solidarity, and cooperation between both neighbouring nations in all sectors, especially in the current fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The senate president congratulated Vietnam on its successful role as the ASEAN Chair and President of of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in 2020, and thanked Vietnam for its support for Cambodia as the host of 13th ASEM Summit and the 11th Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting in November this year as well as the Chair of ASEAN and AIPA next year.
For his part, H.E. Vu Quang Minh said the party, government and people of Vietnam will always remember and be grateful to the Cambodian people for their support for the Vietnamese people in the struggle for national independence, liberation and unity.
H.E. Vu Quang Minh also expressed his congratulations on the achievements and progress in all areas that the Kingdom of Cambodia has achieved under the leadership of the Cambodian People’s Party and the Royal Government of Cambodia, especially the success in controlling the COVID-19 spread.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press

Advocacy groups representing foreign workers in Thailand’s seafood industry called on the government Tuesday to ensure that employment contracts are made transparent, and to act to prevent workplace exploitation or abuses aboard Thai-owned fishing boats.
A new survey by the Fishers’ Rights Network found that about nine out of 10 foreign migrants working on fishing boats in Thailand had not had their contract translated or explained in a language they can understand. Tens of thousands of migrants from neighboring countries, including Myanmar and Cambodia, work in Thailand’s fishing sector.
At an online news conference where survey results were presented, the network and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) urged Bangkok to do much more to implement Convention No. 188 (C188) of the International Labor Organization. The convention, which came into force in November 2017, aims to shield employees in the seafood industry from abuses or exploitation.
“Number one, we would like to call on the Royal Thai Government to effectively enforce C188 and ensure that all fishers have a copy of their contracts in their own language,” Jon Hartough, the Thailand project lead at the federation, told reporters.
In addition, all port-in, port-out centers in the country “should allow fishers to review and verify the contracts presented by employers at inspection, and report violations in a safe and protected space,” he said.
“And finally, fishers are demanding that Thai authorities enforce employment contracts provisions and protect migrant fishers’ rights.”
Paper-thin
Thailand, in January 2019, was the first country in Southeast Asia to ratify the convention, which sets out binding requirements to protect the labor rights of people who work on fishing boats, and to address issues they face in the workplace.
Ye Thwe, the president of the Fishers’ Rights Network who used to work as a foreign migrant in the Thai fishing sector, also urged the government to step up enforcement of the ILO convention.
“Thailand has ratified C188 … but Burmese and Khmer fishers still face serious issues such as wage theft, lack of adequate food or clean drinking water on board, debt bondage, document retention and other labor abuses,” he said. “The Thai Government commitments are as thin as the paper they’re written on.”
Labor violations are still rampant, with contracts not being followed properly, he said.
“We hear often that fishers are not paid for months at a time, face dangerous conditions onboard and are not even sure of their actual salary or other provisions listed in the contract because it’s not in their own language,” Ye Thwe said.
In 2019, some 60,000 workers from Cambodia and Myanmar were employed on Thai fishing boats, according to the Department of Fisheries.
Among the results, the survey of 520 migrant fishers working in eight Thai provinces found that 87 percent did not have a copy of their employment contract, and 89 percent had not had their contract translated or explained in a language they can understand.
Front-line workers
Current Thai labor law and labor inspections do not meet the standards outlined in the ILO convention, said Johnny Hansen, chair of the Fisheries Section at the ITF.
“[T]he results presented today clearly show that significant action is urgently needed to fully protect the labor and human rights of migrant fishers in Thailand,” Hansen said.
“Fishers are on the front line of the global seafood supply chain, and more and more consumers are demanding that the products they purchase are truly free from labor abuse or exploitation.”
BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, asked Mesak Pakdeekong, director-general of the Department of Fisheries, to comment on the call by the labor-rights advocacy groups for more governmental action in enforcing the provisions of Convention 188.
“We would definitely solve the problems. But by which approach, we would have to see the actual set of information. We will fix them, but let us study the details first,” he said, referring to the survey by the Fishers’ Rights Network.
Meanwhile in Pattani, a province in Thailand’s Deep South where commercial fishing is a major industry, the owner of a local fishing fleet said his business has complied with the law and government regulations.
“The contracts with migrant workers contain their native languages and salary and were signed in front of officials. We can’t hide the contract,” fleet owner Surat Ratanasithorn told BenarNews.

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