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Wednesday, 15 September 2010 15:51 Post Staff

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A tough place for opposition Critics of ASEAN governments struggle to speak What do you think China's impact will be on Cambodia in the coming years? Go to angkorone.com/lift to discuss. growing awareness of the relentless growth of Chinese economic and military power and a feeling that China asserts itself more in the region” has made “Australia, Indonesia and South Korea appear to be interested in forms of middle-power consultation, to ensure that their interest in a multi-polar Asia is preserved”. - From a report by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. The Japanese government regrets that China unilaterally announced it would postpone the talks.” - Comments from a Japanese foreign ministry official after China said it would reject any investigation by Tokyo into a ship collision in disputed waters that left a Chinese fishing vessel in Japanese custody. China took the very important step in June of signalling that they’re going to let the exchange rate start to reflect market forces. But they’ve done very, very little, they’ve let it move very, very little in the interim.” - US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on his disappointment with China’s hesitancy to loosen its grip on the yuan.		The garment strike by the numbers $61 The current minumum wage for garment workers $56 The minumum wage prior to negotiations earlier this year $93 The minimum wage proposed by labour leaders $72 The monthly amount needed to cover basic needs of workers, according to industry studies $43 The minimum wage for garment workers in Bangladesh, the lowest in the region 68 thousand Workers who joined strikes on Monday, according to Kong Athit, secretary general of the Cambodian Labour Confederation. 9 thousand The maximum number of workers who joined strikes on Monday, according to Ken Loo, secretary general of the Garment Manufacturers’ Association in Cambodia 80 thousand Workers who gave their thumbprints pledging to participate in the strikes prior to this week, according to garment industry unionists. 297 thousand Total workers employed in the garment sector. 60 thousand Garment-industry jobs lost during the economic crisis in 2008 and 2009, according to the UN. 90 % The estimated percentage of garment workers who are female.
Not Exactly News Trends A bad week for ice in the Kingdom Part-time ice man iced by ice had self to blame A 20 year-old man died after being crushed by seven large blocks of ice last week. While waiting to serve customers in the ice-producing room at the bespoke ice shop where he was employed, seven slabs of ice fell on him, killing him instantly. The manager of the shop said the victim was “not a full-time worker”, and that the accident was his own fault because he failed to use proper ice-manoeuvring techniques. KAMPUCHEA THMEY Ice goes up in flames 492 packages of “ice”, or crystal methamphetamine, were burned along with 9,592 tablets of yama, or methamphetamine, three packages of heroin and two tablets of ecstasy when provincial authorities destroyed more than US$100,000 worth of illicit drugs seized over the past two years in Siem Reap and Oddar Meanchey, officials said, adding that 42 people have been arrested for alleged involvement in trafficking illegal drugs since the beginning of the year. A bad week for ice in the Kingdom Violent monkeys kicked out of town A BURGLAR alarm that calls the owner of a house if it is being robbed has been selling well since it was first imported into Cambodia a week ago. Importer Safe Home said that 14 units had been sold in its first week. Sneaky fires face new foe ELECTRICS firm Dynamic E-Group launched new fire alarms imported from German company Detectomat. A company spokesperson said they were an improvement on the models currently available in the Kingdom, as they were able to detect both smoke and heat.There were roughly 29 fires requiring the fire service in Phnom Penh this year.	Big Stories CITY authorities have warned that residents of the iconic Bassac apartment block in Chamkarmon district could be forced to vacate the building if it is deemed “unsafe” by municipal housing experts. “I don’t think that the authorities are thinking much about residents’ safety. What they are thinking is just to give the land to businessmen,” said resident Sem Sinoun, 45. THOUSANDS of garment workers stopped work on Monday as part of a promised mass strike to protest against the minimum wage. the numbers >> OFFICIALS said last week that a second bridge , estimated to cost US$27.5 million, linking downtown Phnom Penh to the Chroy Changvar peninsula would be constructed with Chinese aid and take about 38 months to complete. What's the biggest story? Have your say at angkorone.com/lift Laugh a little A 24-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man were caught in an awkward spot last weekend after the woman’s husband accused them of committing adultery. The suspicious spouse discovered them together, his wife naked and the man wearing her pants. The husband has demanded US$2,000 in compensation. The man said he was an old friend and came inside to stay out of the rain. KAMPUCHEA THMEY