Monday, 3 January 2011

Photo Exhibition Mysterious Mekong

http://www.shanland.org/

via CAAI

Monday, 03 January 2011 13:59 Reinhard Hohler .Photo Exhibition

SOFITEL PHNOM PENH PHOKEETHRA

Presents

“Mysterious Mekong:
A journey through the heart of Indochina”

By

Reinhard Hohler, Chiang Mai

15 January – 10 February 2011


An exhibition of photographs by Reinhard Hohler will be on display at the brand-new SOFITEL PHNOM PENH PHOKEETHRA, starting on Saturday, January 15, 2011. The unique collection of photos is featuring the Mekong River, the longest river in Southeast Asia, which is more and more threatened by dam buildings and industrial development schemes.

Through his photographs, Mr. Hohler attempts to give the visitor an in-depth perspective on the different geographical, historical and economic aspects of the Mekong River, which runs through the heart of Indo-China. The river should be protected accordingly.

The 72 photographs highlight the landscapes and scenery seen during an expedition in November 2002, which started in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan/China, passing through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, before ending in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The exhibition includes photos marking the group’s visit to the gravesite of the famous French explorer Henri Mouhot in Luang Prabang, the transfer of the group’s hovercraft around the scenic Khon Falls on the Lao-Cambodia border as well as a side trip to the ruins of Angkor. When the expedition had finally arrived in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, there was the first continuous navigation of the Mekong River successfully completed.

Reinhard Hohler, 60, is an experienced tour director and media travel consultant in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. He was born in Karlsruhe/Germany, a port on Europe’s Rhine River. After studying geology in his hometown and ethnology, geography and political science at Heidelberg University, Mr. Hohler moved to Thailand and lives in Chiang Mai since 1987.

The venue SOFITEL PHNOM PENH PHOKEETHRA is a 12-storey colonial French style hotel and occupies 12 hectares in a prime, riverside location, near the British International School and amidst a burgeoning neighborhood of upscale villas. The 5-star hotel is located just downstream of Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace and introduces nine new restaurants and bars to the city. Also, it houses Asia’s first, Sofitel-branded So Spa, Asia’s first purpose-built executive club, Club Millesime, and an impressive 1,800-square meter ballroom. Its fitness club, the Phokeethra Sports Complex, features tennis courts and squash courts, as well as an outdoor swimming pool, a kid’s club, and fitness equipment.

For more information, please contact Area General Manager Mr. Didier Lamoot, Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra by phone +855 23 999 200, Fax: +855 23 999 211, Mobile: +855 12 980 011 or e-mail: DIDIER.LAMOOT@SOFITEL.COM

Concern over new border protest


via CAAI

Mon, Jan 03, 2011
The Nation/Asia News Network

A nationalist group plans to stage a protest against Cambodia today near the border in Sa Kaew province over the arrest of seven Thais last week, including a Democrat MP.

The Thai Patriots Group, a faction that split with the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), claims that Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth and six other Thais, including PAD member Veera Somkwamkid, were arrested on Thai soil - so they will demand that Cambodian authorities release them immediately.

Thai police and troops are expected to block the group from getting close to the border and limit any negative impact on bilateral relations.


Panich, Veera and five other Thais were arrested last Wednesday while visiting Thai villagers near the Sa Kaew border.

Panich claims he was arrested while visiting Thai villagers on Thai soil.

But Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya admitted that the seven Thais were inside Cambodia when they were arrested.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdee confirmed yesterday that the seven had encroached on Cambodian land.

He said the Royal Survey Department and Foreign Ministry officials had inspected the disputed area and confirmed that the seven Thais were on Cambodian soil.

Thani said Panich and his group could defend themselves in the Cambodian Court, and argue that they did not intend to encroach on Cambodian territory.

Argument over land titles

Chaiwat Sinsuwong insisted yesterday the seven Thais were arrested in Thailand because the villagers were holding Nor Sor 3 land titles.

"The Thai government is distorting information by saying they were arrested in Cambodia. We would like to call on the Thai government to urgently help the seven Thais," Chaiwat said.

He said his group would leave Government House at noon for Sa Kaew, where they would organise a mass protest.

Chaiwat said his group would also demand that the Thai government file a lawsuit against Phnom Penh for unlawfully arresting Thais, and thus violating the Geneva Convention.

Karun Saingarm, another leader of the Thai Patriots, said local villagers at the spot where the seven were arrested were calling on the Thai government to issue them full land deeds, but state officials had refused to do this.

Karun said the government claimed the area was occupied by Cambodian troops. He said the Thai government's inaction was tantamount to accepting the 1:200,000-scale map of Cambodia and this would lead to Thailand losing the disputed 4.6-square-kilometre block near Preah Vihear Temple.

Also yesterday, the Thai Patriots submitted a letter to First Army Area Commander Lt-General Udomdej Sitabutr, urging him to help the seven Thais and protect Thai sovereignty at the disputed area.

The letter also informed the First Army Area of the group's plan to hold a protest near the Sa Kaew border.

Meanwhile, Charnvit Kasetsiri, former rector of Thammasat University, warned that the problem could escalate and harm bilateral ties with Cambodia.

He noted that the seven Thais did not inform local Army officials of their visit to the disputed area in Sa Kaew so their move was seen as a plan to stir up nationalistic feelings that could hurt ties between the two countries.

Also yesterday, Komsan Phothikong, deputy rector of Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, said Panich could lose his House seat if he is convicted of encroaching on Cambodian soil by the Cambodian court.

Komsan said if Panich gets a jail term and is not released on bail, he may be regarded as having lost his MP status.

Komsan said the Election Commission would have to invoke Articles 91 and 106 of the Constitution to seek a ruling from the Constitution Court on Panich's status, if the MP was convicted by the Cambodian court.

Komsan said although the alleged crime did not happen in Thailand, articles in the charter aimed to prevent people with tainted backgrounds from becoming public representatives.

"For example, if an MP steals in the US and is jailed, or if an MP enters Japan illegally and is jailed in Japan, he will also lose his MP status," he said. But Komsan noted that Panich might argue that his arrest by Cambodian authorities was unlawful.

Border protest not allowed over arrest of 7 Thais by Cambodia: military officer

via CAAI

January 03, 2011

The supporters of the Thailand Patriot Network are not allowed to rally against Cambodia near the border in Sa Kaeo province as they planned, said Maj Gen Walit Rojanapakdee, commander of the Burapa Force, on Monday.

According to Bangkok Post online, Walit said he had coordinated with governor of Sa Kaeo province to hold talks with the network' s core leaders to ask them to rally only in Sa Kaeo's Khoke Soong district.

He said the rally near the Thai-Cambodian border area was not allowed as it could create problems for local residents.

There has been concerns that the rally would further strain the relations between the two countries after seven Thais, including the Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth and the Thailand Patriot Network leader Veera Somkwamkid, were detained by Cambodian military on Wednesday when they were visiting a disputed border area.

Chaiwat Sinsuwong, a core leader of the network, said at a press conference on Sunday that some supporters of "yellow-shirts", a political movement to which the network belongs, would rally against Cambodia on Monday in the eastern border province of Sa Kaeo, to call for the release of the seven detained Thais.

The Network claimed that the seven Thais had been arrested on Thai soil and so they would demand that Cambodian authorities release them immediately.

While Panich also claimed he had been arrested while visiting Thai villagers on Thai soil, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya admitted that the seven Thais were inside Cambodia when they were arrested, according to The Nation online.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Thani Thongphakdee said Sunday that the Royal Survey Department and Foreign Ministry officials had inspected the disputed area and confirmed that the seven Thais were on Cambodian soil, The Nation said.

Source: Xinhua

Gen Prawit blamed for 7 Thais' arrest


via CAAI

Published: 3/01/2011
Online news:

Chaiwat Sinsuwong, a core leader of Thailand Patriot Network, claimed on Monday that he had received information that Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon was behind the arrest of the seven Thais by Cambodian troops on Dec 29.

He said Gen Prawit had contacted a Cambodian commander of a border army division, asking they arrest the Thais, who include a yellow-shirt network co-leader Veera Somkwamkid and a Democrat MP.

Mr Chaiwat said he had instructed yellow-shirts in the provinces planning to join rally against Cambodia at Government House to instead head directly to Sa Kaeo province.

He said that after the mass rally in Sa Kaeo tomorrow, the yellow-shirts will regroup at Government House in Bangkok to continue their protest.

It was reported that the yellow-shirts gathered at Government House were dismantling the rally tents and packing their belongings in preparation for joining the planned rally in Sa Kaeo tomorrow.

Cambodian officials begin asset declaration programme

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/

via CAAI

Jan 3, 2011

Phnom Penh - The Cambodian government kicked off an ambitious asset declaration programme for public officials on Monday in an effort to battle the country's endemic graft.

From January to March, roughly 100,000 officials including the prime minister will be required for the first time to declare assets including property, vehicles and business interests, a process overseen by the country's newly established Anticorruption Unit.

'Every level of government has to report directly to the Anticorruption Unit,' government spokesman Phay Siphan said. 'Their job is to prepare a system of transparency.'

The declaration process has drawn criticism because officials do not have to disclose bank account balances or the assets of spouses and family members. Spouses, in particular, often nominally hold property and other assets acquired in dubious circumstances by government officials, activist groups say.

Sek Borisoth, director of the good governance nongovernmental organisation PACT Cambodia, said staff at the Anticorruption Unit (ACU) would likely be unable to scrutinise closely the many thousands of declarations they will have to process in the coming weeks.

'It's going to be hard, and the ACU also admitted that,' Sek Borisoth said. He added that the declaration process was a good start and could serve as a 'baseline' against which to compare future declarations.

The international corruption watchdog Transparency International identified Cambodia as one of the most corrupt nations in the world last year, ranking the country 154th in its annual governance index. That put Cambodia on a par with countries such as Tajikistan and Guinea-Bissau, with only 15 other nations ranked as more corrupt.

In 2009, the US ambassador to Cambodia said the country loses perhaps 500 million dollars per year to corruption, equivalent to roughly a quarter of the national budget.

More border gates to open to Cambodia

http://news.asiaone.com/

via CAAI

Mon, Jan 03, 2011
Viet Nam News/Asia News Network

CAN THO - Viet Nam and Cambodia have agreed to open four more border gates for road transport between the two countries in 2011.

The new border gates that will open next year are: Xa Mat -Trapeing (Tay Ninh and Kampong Cham provinces); Le Thanh - Oyadav (Gia Lai and Andong Pich - Ratanakiri provinces); Hoa Lu - Trapeang Sre (Binh Phuoc and Snoul-Kratie provinces); and Bu Prang - O Raaing (Dak Nong and Mundulkiri provinces).

The new border gates will bring the number of entry points for road transport between Cambodia and Viet Nam from three to seven, according to figures released at a meeting to review the implementation of the agreement on Road Transport between the two countries held in the Mekong city of Can Tho on Monday.


The three border gates currently under operation for road transport between the two countries are: Moc Bai - Bavet (Tay Ninh and Svay Rieng provinces); Tinh Bien-Phnom Den (An Giang and Takeo provinces); and Xa Xia - Prek Chak (Kien Giang, Lork and Kam Pot provinces).

In 2010, Vietnamese and Cambodian authorities granted 205 licenses to 32 transportation companies, mainly dealing in passenger transport, for cross-border services between the two countries.

These companies, mainly running services from HCM City, Tra Vinh, An Giang and Can Tho to Cambodia, operate 185 coaches for passengers and 20 trucks for cargo transport.

Vietnamese experts said at the meeting that there is much greater potential for cargo transportation between the two countries. They said high customs fees and goods transport taxes in Cambodia were to blame for the limited growth so far.

The bilateral agreement on Road Transport was signed by the governments of Cambodia and Viet Nam in 1998.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Grameen Credit Agricole Microfinance Foundation Makes $1.8m Local-Currency Loan to Koperasi Mitra Dhuafa (Komida) of Indonesia and Thaneakea Phum Cambodia (TPC), Chamroeun Microfinance of Cambodia

http://www.microcapital.org/

via CAAI

Posted by Julie Moksim in Category: Asia

Grameen Credit Agricole Microfinance Foundation, a nonprofit organization established in Luxembourg in 2008 as a partnership between Credit Agricole SA, a French retail bank, and Grameen Trust (GT), a nonprofit microfinance organization based in Bangladesh, extended three local-currency loans equivalent to a total of USD 1.8 million to microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Southeast Asia.

In Indonesia, Koperasi Mitra Dhuafa (Komida), which was established in Jakarta in 2004 as a credit union, received IDR 6 billion (USD 667,000). Komida offers savings, loans and insurance to underserved individuals. In 2009 Komida reported to the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX), the microfinance information clearinghouse, a gross loan portfolio (GLP) of USD 2.5 million, total assets of USD 3.8 million, return on assets (ROA) of 1.91 percent and return on equity (ROE) of 9.93 percent.

In Cambodia, Thaneakea Phum Cambodia Limited (TPC), an MFI established in 1994 by Catholic Relief Services (CRS), an international humanitarian agency based in the United States, received THB 30 million (USD 1 million) from Grameen Credit Agricole Microfinance Foundation. In 2009 TPC reported to MIX a GLP of USD 17.5 million, total assets of USD 28.3 million, ROA of 1.46 percent and ROE of 8.29 percent. Chamroeun Microfinance, another Cambodian MFI, also received a loan of KHR 585.2 million (USD 144,000). Chamroeun reported to MIX in 2009 a GLP of USD 679,000, total assets of USD 755,000, ROA of -8.39 percent and ROE of -25.14 percent.

By Julie Moksim, Research Associate

About Grameen Credit Agricole Microfinance Foundation: The Grameen Credit Agricole Microfinance Foundation was founded in 2008 with a EUR 50 million (USD 73 million) endowment provided by Credit Agricole SA, a French retail bank, and Grameen Trust (GT), a nonprofit microfinance organization based in Bangladesh. The foundation offers a range of financing products to microfinance institutions (MFIs) and targets MFIs that adhere to transparency and consumer protection practices. The foundation focuses on MFIs dedicated to agricultural and rural development, specifically those intended for women.

About Koperasi Mitra Dhuafa (Komida): Komida was established in 2004 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Having received training from Grameen Bank, a microfinance bank established in Bangladesh, Komida provides loans to underserved individuals in an effort to empower poor communities through its subsidiary, Yayasan Mitra Dhuafa (Yamida). In 2009 Komida reported to the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX), the microfinance information clearinghouse, a gross loan portfolio (GLP) of USD 2.5 million, total assets of USD 3.8 million, return on assets (ROA) of 1.91 percent and return on equity (ROE) of 9.93 percent.

About Chamroeun Microfinance: Chamroeun is a microfinance institution (MFI) that was established in Cambodia in 1995. The organization’s mission is to help low-income people in urban areas prepare for unexpected expenses by providing savings, loans and microinsurance. The MFI also helps micro- and small entrepreneurs by engaging them in skills trainings. In 2009 Chamroeun reported to the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX), the microfinance information clearinghouse, a gross loan portfolio (GLP) of USD 679,000, total assets of USD 755,000, return on assets (ROA) of -8.39 percent and return on equity (ROE) of -25.14 percent.

About Thaneakea Phum Cambodia Limited (TPC): TPC was launched in Cambodia in 1994 as part of the Small Enterprise Development program of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) of the United States. In 2002, CRS/TPC officially incorporated to become Thaneakea Phum (Cambodia) Ltd. – a limited liability company. In 2003, TPC was licensed by the National Bank of Cambodia as a microfinance institution (MFI). In 2009 TPC reported to the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX), the microfinance information clearinghouse, a gross loan portfolio (GLP) of USD 17.5 million, total assets of USD 28.3 million, return on assets (ROA) of 1.46 percent and return on equity (ROE) of 8.29 percent.

MicroCapital’s Microfinance Universe Profile: Grameen Credit Agricole Microfinance Foundation


MicroCapital’s Microfinance Universe Profile: Koperasi Mitra Dhuafa (Komida)


MicroCapital’s Microfinance Universe Profile: Chamroeun Microfinance


MicroCapital’s Microfinance Universe Profile: Thaneakea Phum Cambodia Limited (TPC)


Browse the MicroCapital Universe and add your entry to the wiki at:

Tension rises on Thailand-Cambodia border

via CAAI

News Desk
The Nation (Thailand)

A Thai nationalist group plans to stage a protest against Cambodia Monday (January 3) near the border in Sa Kaew province over the arrest of seven Thais last week, including a ruling Democrat Party MP.

The Thai Patriots Group, a splinter faction of the yellow-shirted People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), claims that Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth and six other Thais, including PAD member Veera Somkwamkid, were arrested on Thai soil and demands that Cambodian authorities release them immediately.

Thai police and troops are expected to block the group from getting close to the border and limit any negative impact on bilateral relations.

Panich, Veera and five other Thais were arrested last Wednesday (December 29) while visiting Thai villagers near the Sa Kaew border.

Panich claims he was arrested while visiting Thai villagers on Thai soil.

But foreign minister Kasit Piromya admitted that the seven Thais were inside Cambodia when they were arrested.

Foreign ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdee confirmed Sunday (January 2) that the seven had encroached on Cambodian land.

He said the Royal Survey Department and Foreign Ministry officials had inspected the disputed area and confirmed that the seven Thais were on Cambodian soil.

Thani said Panich and his group could defend themselves in the Cambodian Court, and argue that they did not intend to encroach on Cambodian territory.

Chaiwat Sinsuwong insisted Sunday the seven Thais were arrested in Thailand because the villagers were holding Nor Sor 3 land titles.

"The Thai government is distorting information by saying they were arrested in Cambodia. We would like to call on the Thai government to urgently help the seven Thais," Chaiwat said.

He said his group would leave Government House at noon for Sa Kaew, where they would organise a mass protest.

Chaiwat said his group would also demand that the Thai government file a lawsuit against Phnom Penh for unlawfully arresting Thais, and thus violating the Geneva Convention.

Karun Saingarm, another leader of the Thai Patriots, said local villagers at the spot where the seven were arrested were calling on the Thai government to issue them full land deeds, but state officials had refused to do this.

Karun said the government claimed the area was occupied by Cambodian troops. He said the Thai government's inaction was tantamount to accepting the 1:200,000-scale map of Cambodia and this would lead to Thailand losing the disputed 4.6-square-kilometre block near Preah Vihear Temple.

Also on Sunday, the Thai Patriots submitted a letter to First Army Area Commander Lt-General Udomdej Sitabutr, urging him to help the seven Thais and protect Thai sovereignty at the disputed area.

The letter also informed the First Army Area of the group's plan to hold a protest near the Sa Kaew border.

Meanwhile, Charnvit Kasetsiri, former rector of Thammasat University, warned that the problem could escalate and harm bilateral ties with Cambodia.

He noted that the seven Thais did not inform local Army officials of their visit to the disputed area in Sa Kaew so their move was seen as a plan to stir up nationalistic feelings that could hurt ties between the two countries.

Also on Sunday, Komsan Phothikong, deputy rector of Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, said Panich could lose his House seat if he is convicted of encroaching on Cambodian soil by the Cambodian court.

Komsan said if Panich gets a jail term and is not released on bail, he may be regarded as having lost his MP status.

Komsan said the Election Commission would have to invoke Articles 91 and 106 of the Constitution to seek a ruling from the Constitution Court on Panich's status, if the MP was convicted by the Cambodian court.

Komsan said although the alleged crime did not happen in Thailand, articles in the charter aimed to prevent people with tainted backgrounds from becoming public representatives.

"For example, if an MP steals in the US and is jailed, or if an MP enters Japan illegally and is jailed in Japan, he will also lose his MP status," he said. But Komsan noted that Panich might argue that his arrest by Cambodian authorities was unlawful.

DAP News. Breaking News by Soy Sopheap

DAP News. Breaking News by Soy Sopheap

via CAAI

Monday, 03 January 2011 06:33 DAP-NEWS/VIBOL

CAMBODIA, PHNOM PENH, JAN 3, 2011-Cambodia’s prison department of interior ministry on Monday allowed the relatives of 7 Thais, who detained in Prey Sor Jail to see them.

The relatives of 7 Thais thanked Cambodian authorities to help them and facilitate the process of the meeting their relatives who jailed in prison after the 7 Thais came into Cambodia illegally, a relative told media.

They meet their relatives at 11: 30 AM this morning and those seven Thai faced with charged cases for illegally crossing the border and entered the military headquarter illegally.

The 7 Thais including a lawmaker from ruling party Democrat arrested on December 29 at the Chey Cork village in Banteay Mean Chey province.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya arrived here on December 30 to release the seven Thais and seek the understanding the facts of arresting but later Thai authorities declared the recognizing of seven Thais entered Cambodia illegally.

“The seven Thais will be detained for short time in Cambodian prison and they will be granted the pardon from the Cambodian side and released back home, “the political analyst said in unnamed release.

No border and diplomatic tension after arresting the seven Thais and both sides plan to strengthen and restore deep bilateral cooperation after the deadly armed attack at the border and diplomatic cut-off.

Too hot to handle


Photo by: Heng Chivoan

via CAAI

Monday, 03 January 2011 15:00 Heng Chivoan

Two industrious young boys attempt to cook a dead ferret over an impromptu fire after snaring the animal in Kors Kralor district, Battambang province, last week.

The dragon’s nest


Photo by: Heng Chivoan

via CAAI

Monday, 03 January 2011 15:00 Heng Chivoan

Sdeung Som Oeun, a plantation worker, tends to dragon fruit plants on a farm in Battambang province’s Kors Kralor district. The colourful catcus fruit, which is harvested across Southeast Asia, Mexico, Central and South America and Israel, is proving to be a successful commercial crop for Cambodian farmers.

Casino worker alleges ‘torture’ by Thai guard


via CAAI

Monday, 03 January 2011 15:01 Thet Sambath

A 21-YEAR-OLD man was reportedly detained and tortured at a casino near the Thai-Cambodian border for three days last week after being accused of luring guests to competing establishments.

Chhoeun Chhan, 44, of Banteay Meanchey province, said his 21-year-old son was detained by a Thai security guard from AR-Set company at the Golden Crown casino in Poipet town. He claimed his son, Chhoeun Chanthy, was brutally beaten during his detention.

“The Thai security guard tortured my son by handcuffing him and beating him with a plastic pipe,” Chhoeun Chhan said yesterday. “He detained my son for three days and did not give him any food.”

Horm Muth, military police commander for Poipet town, said he knew of the case but had not intervened because the case had been settled out of court.

“The victim agreed to accept compensation and [to] not file a complaint.... so we can’t do anything,” he said.

Chhoeun Chhan said his son, an AR-Set employee who handled sports betting, had accepted 7,000 baht (US$233) from the suspect and had been treated at a local hospital.

“I do not dare file a complaint,” he said. “I do not dare to confront those people because they are rich and powerful.”

Casino representatives could not be reached yesterday.

Koh Kong: Tourist boat operators up in arms


via CAAI

Monday, 03 January 2011 15:01 Khouth Sophakchakrya

Koh Kong

BOATMEN in Koh Kong province’s Thma Bang district have expressed concerns about a new tourist ferry service run by local officials, which they fear will destroy their own livelihoods in the growing eco-tourism destination.

Men Sopheap, 39, a representative of 18 boat owners in Chiphat commune, said Moeng Sophea, a commune official, was set to introduce a tourist ferry service and that boatmen were informed that they would have to wind up their business this week, since their boats were “unsafe”.

“We will die if the authorities close our boat businesses,” she said, promising to protest the decision. Moeng Sophea said that he had permission from the authorities to start a ferry service, and that he would coordinate with the villagers. He said his ferry could safely hold 4-6 small cars and more than 100 passengers.

Killer elephant: Pachyderm finds solace in new home


via CAAI

Monday, 03 January 2011 15:01 Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

Killer elephant

SAMBO, a bull elephant who rampaged through Kampong Speu province after killing his owner last month, appears to be taking a fresh approach to relationships in 2011.

Sambo has mellowed out and may get a mate after his escapades landed him at the Phnom Tamao Zoo on Christmas Day, a zoo official said yesterday.

Nhem Thy, the zoo’s deputy director, said he plans to have Sambo start living with Srey Pao, a female elephant, next week, hoping the pair will hit it off.

Sambo’s health has improved, and his temper and stress have decreased in captivity, he said.

“I am very pleased that Sambo has now become a kind and good elephant again, and his stress or temper now have been released from his mind,” Nhem Thy said.

He said Sambo’s change of heart came about “because he met with many female elephants in the zoo and he likes them”, and added that Sambo often looks at Srey Pao and the other females “in a loving way”.

He said the 50-year-old Sambo had been “lonely” and without female attention prior to his rampage last month.

Zoo director Nhek Ratanapich said if Srey Pao was too old to bear a calf, there are three other elephants who may like a suitor: Lucky, Chamroeun and Narann.

Villagers keep bulldozers at bay


via CAAI

Monday, 03 January 2011 15:01 May Titthara

A TWO-WEEK campaign by about 500 villagers has forced the temporary suspension of a private company’s efforts to clear farmland in Kampong Speu province, a district official said yesterday.

Following complaints from villagers, Phnom Srouch district governor Tep Mean said officials had asked a company called Master International Cooperation Group to hold off on clearing any more land until a resolution could be reached.

“We have to wait until we find out how many hectares of villagers’ farmland will be affected,” he said.

The company received a 950-hectare land concession from the provincial governor in 2009 to develop acacia and cashew plantations.

But representatives of residents in three villages in Phnom Srouch district say 250 families have lived for decades on the farmland in question.

Village representative Prum Kean, 52, said he had joined the protest on December 16, after the company brought six bulldozers in to clear the land.

“They brought the police, the military police and the soldiers to protect the company officers while they clear our land,” he said.

Ouk Klim, another representative, said protesting farmers were losing valuable harvest time, but would take the protest to outside Prime Minister Hun Sen’s villa in Phnom Penh if a satisfactory resolution is not reached.

“We could not stand and watch the company take over our land, we have to protest,” he said.

He added that local authorities were not aware that many people have lived in the area since “before 1970” and suggested that officials were “partial to the company”.

Representatives from Master International Cooperation Group could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Australian papers trace post-KR policy


via CAAI

Monday, 03 January 2011 15:00 Brooke Lewis

A NEWLY declassified document has shed light on Australia’s decision to maintain support for the toppled Khmer Rouge regime in the face of the Australian public’s widespread “revulsion” at the atrocities committed under Pol Pot.

The document, dated July 15, 1980, and submitted to the Australian Cabinet by then-Foreign Minister Andrew Peacock, recommended that Australia vote to support the Khmer Rouge at an upcoming meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.

Peacock went on, however, to argue that the government “agree in principle” to withdraw Australian support for Democratic Kampuchea at an unspecified future date, citing the Australian public’s condemnation of the regime.

“I do not believe that the strong expression of Australian public feeling on this issue can, or should be, ignored in policy considerations,” he wrote.

At the time, the Khmer Rouge – overthrown by a Vietnamese invasion in January 1979 – had retreated to jungle redoubts along the Thai border, but still commanded the support of China, the ASEAN bloc and many Western countries.

In September 1979, the UNGA had voted to accept the credentials of Democratic Kampuchea with 71 in favour, 34 against and 35 abstentions.

China, the United States and the United Kingdom were among the other countries that backed the Khmer Rouge’s occupancy of Cambodia’s seat at the UN, which it held until 1991.

Opposing the Khmer Rouge, and in control of the majority of the country, was the Vietnam-backed People’s Republic of Kampuchea, led by Heng Samrin, which enjoyed support from the Soviet bloc.

In the paper, Peacock argued that continued support of the Khmer Rouge was important to maintaining good relations with ASEAN, which had campaigned for a withdrawal of Vietnamese forces from Cambodia and the formation of a government free from outside coercion.

“This campaign consists essentially of maintaining international support for DK’s credentials in international forums, thus denying the legitimacy of the Heng Samrin, Vietnam-backed regime in Phnom Penh,” the document reads.

Peacock argued that the ASEAN campaign would ultimately aid the return of a stable government in Phnom Penh.

In line with Peacock’s recommendations, the cabinet decided on September 23, 1980, to recognise the Khmer Rouge’s credentials at an upcoming meeting of the UNGA, but then withdrew its recognition in February 1981.

During a speech marking the release of the 1980 cabinet papers, Paul Kelly, editor-at-large at The Australian, said the move was made under pressure from Peacock, who had threatened to resign if the government refused to withdraw its recognition.

Kelly said Primary Industry Minister Peter Nixon negotiated a deal with Peacock whereby Australia would vote in favour of Democratic Kampuchea’s credentials in the UN but later announce its planned withdrawal of recognition, according to a transcript of the speech published online.

In an interview with The Australian, Peacock said personal experiences during two visits to Cambodia had made the issue important to him.

“I suppose Cambodia had a little place within me,” Peacock said. “I was probably more upset professionally than I should have been.”

Son Soubert, a political observer based in Phnom Penh, said yesterday that Australia and other Western countries had faced the “dilemma” of choosing to back the Khmer Rouge over the “Vietnamese invasion” as a result of their earlier inaction.

“They had no choice. They had a choice in 1976, but then everyone closed their eyes because it was embarrassing,” he said.

He said, however, that there were still other options available to UN member states.

“They could have made some motion recommending that the UN Secretary General go to Cambodia to inspect what was happening,” he said.

Stalls shut down after rent row


Photo by: Pha Lina
Vendors from Heng Ly market protest outside City Hall yesterday.

via CAAI

Monday, 03 January 2011 15:00 Tep Nimol

THE owner of the Heng Ly Market in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kork district yesterday shut down the stalls of 44 vendors who refused to pay increased stall rental prices.

Around 100 vendors staged protests twice last month, after the market owner announced that he would be raising annual stall rental prices for about 800 stallholders.

Vendors said rental fees for some of the larger stalls would be raised from US$2,800 per year to $4,320, while prices for some of the smaller stalls would increase from $350 to $450.

Vendor representative Tan Heang said yesterday that there had been a January 1 deadline for the stallholders to agree to the new price, but that 44 had refused, saying they were waiting for intervention from district governor Seng Ratanak, who had pledged to attempt to resolve the issue.

“The Toul Kork authority last Wednesday told us that the market owner promised not to close the market and vendors could still do their business until we reach a solution,” he said.

“We no longer believe in the authority since the market is already closed on Sunday, in contrast to the authority’s claim.”

Seng Ratanak could not be reached for comment.

A representative of the market owner, who spoke on condition of anonymity, denied that 44 stalls had been forced to close, claiming that “only about 10” had been shut down.

He said that after discussions with district authorities last week, the market owner had agreed to revise the price increase for larger stalls down from to $4,000, but said stallholders’ demands that rental prices remain the same as in 2010 were untenable.

Police Blotter: 3 Jan 2011


via CAAI

Monday, 03 January 2011 15:00 Sen David

Meanchey district debtor owes wife an apology
A 41-year-old man was arrested in the capital’s Meanchey district on Friday for hitting his wife in the face with a wooden stick after she demanded that he repay a bank loan. The victim said she had made the plea to her husband after a bank employee visited their home and demanded that the loan be repaid. Her husband, however, had squandered the loan on alcohol and was unable to repay it. When the woman lamented this state of affairs upon his return home, he flew into a rage and attacked her with the stick. The victim was hospitalised following the incident and the man was detained by police pending charges. RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

Horde of ‘gangsters’ attack student
An unsuspecting 18-year-old in Kampong Speu province was attacked by a group of “gangsters” on Friday while sitting in a garden. Police said the gangsters wielded swords and wooden staves in the attack, chasing the victim as he ran for help. The student fortunately made it to a local police station, causing his pursuers to abandon the chase. He said he had no idea why the group had attacked him. Police are now investigating to find the gangsters. RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

Truck crashes in Oddar Meanchey, 18 injured
18 people were injured on Friday in a traffic accident in Oddar Meanchey province’s Anlong Veng district. Witnesses said the majority of those injured were passengers in a large truck that crashed when a car in front of it popped a tyre and stopped in the middle of the roadway, obstructing traffic. Provincial police said it was a miracle that no one was killed in the accident. KAMPUCHEA THMEY

Pursat woman killed in rice milling accident
A 50-year-old woman in Pursat province’s Bakan district was killed on Friday when her head was accidentally crushed in a rice milling machine. The victim’s family said she had borrowed the machine from a neighbour, and had been killed immediately as she was feeding rice paddy into it. Police said the accident had occurred because the woman was inexpert at operating the machine. KOH SANTEPHEAP

Poipet man laments wife’s karaoke job
A 24-year-old man attempted suicide on Friday in Banteay Meanchey province’s Poipet town because he was angry that his wife would not stop working as a karaoke girl. Police said he jumped from the third storey of a hotel, surviving because a hotel security guard sent him to a hospital immediately. The man said he was distraught because despite his repeated entreaties, his wife refused to quit her job because she said it was an easy way to make money. KAMPUCHEA THMEY

Tourism looks set to grow


Tourists crossing the causeway on the West side of the Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap province in November last year. Photo by: Will Baxter

via CAAI

Monday, 03 January 2011 15:00 Chun Sophal and Soeun Say

TOURIST visitors to the Kingdom increased by 16 percent in 2010 compared with the previous year, with about 2.5 million foreigners entering Cambodia.

Improved ease of transportation, promotional deals, and strong security in 2010 had benefited the tourism industry, according to Kong Sophearak, director of the department of statistics and information at the Ministry of Tourism.

“I think tourism will still grow in the coming year because of linkages through flights between Cambodia and European nations, and visa exemptions with Thailand,” he said.

According to the ministry, tourism-generated revenue also increased, rising to US$1.78 billion from $1.56 billion in 2009.

The statistics show Vietnam was the largest source of arrivals to Cambodia, with 466,695 tourist visits – a 47.6 percent increase on 2009.

Minister of Tourism Thong Khon said yesterday the average expenditure by tourists inside Cambodia was considerable, regardless of which country the tourists were from.

Although European tourists may spend more on airfares, the money went to the air carriers rather than directly into the Cambodian economy, he said.

South Korea was the second largest source of visitors, with 289,702 entering the Kingdom last year, a 46.5 percent increase on 2009.

China came in third with 177,636 visitors, while some 151,795 Japanese entered the Kingdom.

President of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, Ang Kim Eang, said the resumption of direct flights by Air France and the visa exemption for Thai visitors should assist in boosting tourism further in 2011.

“We hope the new year will bring Cambodia further inflows of tourists,” he said.

The Ministry has forecast 2.73 million visitors for 2011, and expects revenue from the sector to total $1.91 billion.

The total number of registered travel and tourism companies also increased to 392 companies, from 374 in 2009, according to ministry statistics.

"In this year, we saw better growth in the tourism sector and we saw more new entrants enter to do business in the industry,” said Tourism Industry Department director Prak Chan Dara.

“Some of the companies, they feel confident to do business in the tourism sector because the number of tourists coming to our country is increasing every year — that is why they decided to do this business.”

Ang Kim Eang said private industry was noting an increase in tourism in the Kingdom.

“I think that now is the right time to be doing business in the tourism sector. The economic situation is recovering and the sector is beginning to grow again,” he said.

CATA has 200 members operating tours and travel agency in Cambodia. It is considering setting an internal regulation among its members to the same service fees charged from customers for all tour and travel companies, which Ang Kim Eang claimed was to avoid price dumping.

Heng Saut, the director of Cambodian Visa Service & Tours, who started operating his company two months ago, said: “I feel confident with the tourism sector growing and as I also have knowledge and skills in this sector, that’s why I decided to do this business.”

“Our country is full of attractive heritage and eco-tourism sites with much potential for tourism, so I hopefully have a good chance to start up in this business,” he added.

The Phnom Penh-based firm recently received its operating license from the tourism ministry.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING JEREMY MULLINS

Horse jumping taking off


Seventeen-year-old local rider Jim Narith competes during the Xmas Jumping event at Equestrian Paradice in Bangkok. Photo Supplied

via CAAI

Monday, 03 January 2011 15:00 H S Manjunath

Cambodia’s equestrian stocks are soaring high after a splendid international debut run by a three-member team in the Xmas Jumping event in Bangkok last week.

The two-day tournament held at Equestrian Paradice in Nakhon Nayok’s Klong district drew the best from seasoned 30-year-old rider Hoy Sopparith and two teenagers Jim Narith, 17, and Lon Sopheattra, 14, who performed well beyond expectations on mounts they barely knew. The two mares and a pony they partnered were rentals.

All three contestants, who train in Phnom Penh’s only equestrian facility, the Cambodian Country Club, emerged with seven clear rounds and some notable speed tackles to earn all round praise.

Cambodian Country Club and Cambodian Equestrian Federation President Van Sou Ieng (left) and Technical Director Soraya Ourrais stand in front of the show jumping park at the CCC. Photo by: Sreng Meng Srun

With the bars set between 50 centimetre to 1 metre, it took some time for the Cambodian threesome to get the feel of the course. But after making the best of the training sessions and getting to know their horses, it was Lon Sopheatra who pulled off the first surprise by winning his first class 50centimetre accumulator. In the next phase, he rode a clear round in the 70 centimetre event and finished second in the 80 centimetre.

Jim Narith had a fast round in 70 centimetre accumulator class to take top honours. He also had a speedy ride in the tough 1 metre to get up to fourth place.

For the experienced Sopparith, it was a mixed bag. He had a clear round at 70 centimetres, but was unlucky in the next two classes with a couple of runouts preventing his ribbon chase.

Team trainer Guillaume Carvivain saw the results as deeply encouraging and a positive sign for the future. The Frenchman felt that with a regular and efficient training programme, there was indeed scope for huge improvement.

“The team was clearly stressed by the level of competition, but they did not let this control them,” he said. “The results were good, and I am confident our riders can step up to the challenges of taking on the 1 metre to 1.2 metre scale that the next SEA Games offers.”

The Technical Director of the Cambodian Equestrian Federation, Soraya Ourrais, who also oversees the running of the CCC facility, said: “This result can be seen as a success on many different levels. We feel we are now ready to field our national team in the next SEA Games in Indonesia [in November this year].

“More important than the ribbons that they bring home with them, the positive impression they have made is what ultimately counts.

“Feedback from some of our neighbours on the performances of our boys has been quite encouraging. We have, from the Federation’s perspective, started our work to prepare a team for the SEA Games. We feel that interest in equestrian sport is at its peak now and we are confident it will grow.”

President of the CCC and CEF Van Sou Ieng said the federation was determined to take the sport to the next level and these results could not have come at a better time.

Meanwhile, the CCC is spreading its sports wings with several notable additions to its existing infrastructure. A mini football pitch joined the list recently, and the club is determined to raise its profile further by playing a supporting role to the Tennis Federation of Cambodia’s two international tournaments coming up in the third week of this month.

“We are looking forward to the two future events,” said Van Sou Ieng. “We are proud to have them in our backyard.”

Slovak boxer proves too tough for Sen Bunthen


via CAAI

Monday, 03 January 2011 15:00 ROBERT STARKWEATHER

Vladimir Konsky overpowered local middleweight favorite Sen Bunthen on Saturday to score a lopsided victory decision at the TV3 boxing arena. The 26-year-old Slovakian native scored two knockdowns, one in the fourth and one in the fifth. The first came via a sledgehammer head kick, followed by a knee to the head. The combination rocked Sen Bunthen, who just barely managed to hang on until the final bell. In the co-feature, undefeated Koh Kong hot shot Phon Phanna eked out a razor thin decision over former Peru champion Frank Erick Paredes Vilchez in a rematch of their December 4 light-welterweight bout, which ended in a draw.

All eyes on self-taught artist



Thang Sothea with some of his works for his exhibition Look at Me at the CCF this month. His painting Dr Meul is pictured below.

via CAAI

Monday, 03 January 2011 15:00 Roth Meas

SELF-TAUGHT painter Thang Sothea and art students from creative school Phare Ponleu Selpak in Battambang will open their joint exhibition at the French Culture Centre (CCF) in Phnom Penh on Thursday at 7pm.

An architecture and urban planning graduate from Norton University, Thang Sothea, 28, says that his exhibition is comprised of 49 paintings – all of which depict faces in extreme close-up. He calls his series Meul Khniom, or Look at Me.

“I called this painting series Look at Me because I like the meaning reflecting between paintings and viewers. Actually, the paintings beg you to look at them, but viewers probably feel the paintings are looking back at them too.”

This is Thang Sothea’s second exhibition after his series on the male form exhibited last August at Meta House in Phnom Penh. That exhibition, titled Happy Together, sold many paintings to the Men’s Resort and Spa in Siem Reap province.

“My first works had limited appeal ... since they were about naked men gesturing, but my paintings [in this exhibition] are aimed at everybody,” said the artist.

This latest series of faces and eyes arrests the viewer with it’s striking colours and bold composition.

“I want ... people to see my works, my creative ideas, and my techniques such as adding scars of cracked paint or flows to the surface.”

Students in their third or fourth year studying art at PPS will also display their works in a group exhibition called Neak Mean Thmey, or The Newly Rich Men. Each has a canvas just 80 centimetres square to work on, yet the results are startling in their difference.

Heuy Sokunthea, 22, who attended the painting class at PPS for three years, said that her art class decided on the topic, but each student tackled it from a different angle.

Heuy Sokunthea chose to satirise the nouveau riche, painting an expensive American-made car with the brand name Hummer. She explained that her humour might bypass Cambodia’s new moneyed classes, who often drove cars bearing fake licence plates saying RCAF (Royal Cambodian Armed Forces). “As I see in our society, rich people often use the RCAF plates on their cars and drive anywhere with no worries,” said Heuy Sokunthea.

“I know not many people working in the government can afford to buy Hummers, so only excessively rich people would drive such an expensive car.”

She added collages of abstract papers to her painting, creating a canvas of many colours, symbolising the fact that the rich can paint their car any shade they want. The name of her painting? Power.

Fellow student Muny Chhun Neang, 17, said he chose to paint a portrait of a girl making up her face with expensive brands of beauty products. He even showed United States currency next to her to portray that she preferred to use greenbacks over Cambodian riels.

“I think newly rich women like make-up, putting fruit masks and painting other beauty products on their face. They dye their hair blond and their lives are so stylish,” he said. Chhun Neang also used acrylic paints on canvas, but added shiny textures on the girl’s face and even stitches to add depth. He said this was his first painting for an official exhibition in Phnom Penh, so he liked it more than his previous paintings.

“I’m not the kind of person to criticise anyone, but I’d love to show this picture to all girls. After they see it, they might think, consider and reflect on their own body.”

This exhibition is the first of the new year at the CCF and will run until January 29.

The CCF is located at 218, Street 184, Phnom Penh.

Films about virgin trade feature at Meta House


via CAAI

Monday, 03 January 2011 15:00 Jana Nikolin

FILM screenings at Meta House crank into action this week with the screening on Wednesday of two films unveiling Cambodia’s trade in virgins.

Representatives of NGOs involved in dealing with the aftermath of ruined young lives have been invited for a question and answer session after the screenings, which begin at 7pm.

Cambodia: The Virginity Trade and The Girls of Phnom Penh are both movies created by British filmmaker Matthew Watson. They are the compelling and alarming accounts of the lives of girls and women affected by the virginity trade. Many Asian men believe that purchasing sex from a virgin will grant them extra health and luck. Subsequently, there is a huge demand for young Khmer girls.

In the film, intimate interviews are held with the men who buy the virginity of young girls, politicians, aid workers, police, and the victims themselves.

Thursday sees an exhibition called Garment Work opening by American artist Anne Elizabeth Moore focusing on the clothing trade.

Her installation was developed as a project in residence at the Baumwollspinnerei in Leipzig, Germany, formerly one of the largest textile mills in the world.

Her 10-hour video distills 34 hours and 36 minutes of labour into a work of durational performance, in which the artist took apart a pair of jeans with her bare hands under the contemporary conditions of the former factory.

The exhibition launch at 6pm is followed at 7:30pm by a premiere of the new ILO/BFC/UNDP documentary From Downturn to Recovery: Cambodia’s Garment Industry in Crisis and Shorts From the Factories.

Friday at Meta House sees a screening of the British film Sex, Drugs & Rock & Roll, about the explosive talents and performances of Ian Dury, at 7pm. This is followed by Michael Winterbottom’s film 24-Hour Party People.

Meta House is located at 39 Sothearos Boulevard.

Cheers from a foreign correspondent


via CAAI

Sunday, 02 January 2011 11:57 Roger Mitton

We often think the world is going mad, and if statistics are to be believed, it may be true.

Consider that in Victorian England in 1859, there was only one certified insane person for every 535 sane people.

Forty years later, at the turn of the millennium, the number of officially mad people had risen to one in every 312 normal folk. A quarter of a century after that, it had shot up to one in every 150.

God only knows what the current figure is, but if the pattern persists, scientists say that in 2040 – just 30 years hence – there will be one crazy person for every sane person.

When that happens, we won’t be able to tell which is which. In effect, we’ll all be mad. And possibly a lot happier.

I find that reassuring, because a measure of madness is essential for any foreign correspondent, which has been my career for longer than I care to remember.

And since it’s the start of yet another year on the job, let me tell you why it still thrills me.

According to newspaper myth, wrote the veteran New York Times correspondent Russell Baker: “Reporters are footloose, irresponsible corsairs.”

It is wrong to call us irresponsible; we are quite the opposite in my experience. But I still love that phrase because it encapsulates what I always wanted to be – a roving pirate foraging for treasures of information around the world.

It did not come easy. My early years were spent in a series of jobs that paid a decent wage, but were profoundly unfulfilling.

Then, in the aftermath of being sacked from one such job in Vancouver, I summoned up the cojones to stuff a backpack and head off into the unknown. It was a welcome moment of madness.

Three months later, I was in India. And as I have earlier described in a memoir, it was there, in a New Delhi bookshop, that I bought a copy of The Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot. It still sits over my desk today.

There are two passages in it that reverberate in my mind constantly, and which I regularly reach up from my keyboard to re-read. The first is fittingly on page 1:

“Footfalls echo in the memory/Down the passage which we did not take/Towards the door we never opened/Into the rose-garden.”

I can never read this without a lump coming to my throat. Funny, that, because I’m a pretty cynical philistine at heart and the world’s madness has made me suspicious of any emotion.

But these words, even on first reading so many years ago, seemed to embody the joy of exploration into all things and all places that make life as a foreign correspondent so wondrously worth living.

Yet they also convey the sadness of all those missed opportunities to explore that constantly tempers the joy – or at least seemed to do so before I took up this job.

So many missed rose-gardens, so many doors never opened. Why? God only knows; but I have passed too many and will never knowingly do so again, no matter what the risk.

I’m not sure if I was already imbued with this sentiment when, several weeks after I’d purchased the book, I arrived in the cauldron of Calcutta.

It was early evening, and being alone, I shared a cab into the city with four others. As we drove along in the darkness, we passed open fires beside the road and figures would flare vividly into view in the smoky, dusty gloom and then quickly vanish.

It was an almost Bruegelian journey into some kind of mad heart of darkness, and it thrilled me in a panicky sort of way. I had no idea where I was going to stay.

At Sudder Street, I got out with two Japanese girls and we tried several rather seedy-looking guesthouses. The first was full except for a dormitory; the second was full except for the roof; the third had a double room which the girls took.

I was left alone on the dark and oddly deserted street and it began to rain. I did not know where to go and there was no one to ask. Yet I still felt strangely excited and I impulsively headed down a darkened passageway that connected with the adjacent parallel street. There I chanced on the Astoria Hotel, which had one single room left.

Would I like to see it? I would. It comprised a cot bed in a white-washed cell up under the eaves and adjacent to a balcony that looked out across the city’s dark tempestuous night.

Almost suppressing wild laughter, I said I’d take it, knowing that I had entered a rose-garden and that my life as a roving corsair was truly under way. And it was. And mercifully, it continues.

When I returned to Calcutta years later as a senior correspondent for Asiaweek, I did not visit Sudder Street or the Astoria. For, as all rovers know, the key to keeping the madness under control is to continue seeking out new passageways and new rose-gardens.

And I found another one then. It was the Tollygunge Club which I came upon by good fortune. I had been booked into a US$300-a-night hostelry by a helpful but naive business tycoon in Delhi, who believed that foreign correspondents were well paid.

I got them to reduce the rate by 50 percent, but it was still way over my limit. Then an Indian colleague told me about the Tolly Club and said he could sign me in if I wanted to stay.

Thankfully, I accepted his offer. The ancient club is located amid green pastures in a haven of tranquility beside what was then the last stop on Calcutta’s single Metro line.

I was given a twin-bedded room overlooking the first tee of the golf course for $45 a night. Early next morning, I met one of the club’s oldest members, the late Bob Wright, walking his labrador and smoking copiously in the crisp morning air.

Over a breakfast feast of fresh fruit and curd, scrambled eggs and spicy sausages, toast and coffee, Wright gave me a brilliant rundown of the politics and personalities of West Bengal. As the former Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee said: “People will talk if they feel comfortable.”

I tried to scribble everything down, then luxuriated over the morning papers, before dragging myself off for interviews in the city.

Then, after an exhausting day driving around in the swamp heat and madding crowds, I returned to the tranquillity and splendour of Tolly where I had dinner with my Indian journalist friend.

The club brochure says Tolly has “excellent cuisine”. Frankly, it was appalling. The soup was watery and barely lukewarm, the main course inedible, and the sponge cake reminiscent of wartime substitutes.

But a large Kingfisher beer and my friend’s company and his exciting tales of reporting in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland made up for it.

Fellow correspondents always do.

Ben Bradlee also said: “The sheer joy and romance of being a foreign correspondent is hard to explain, even harder to exaggerate.” He’s right, but there is a downside: Some passageways lead to trouble and opening some doors has nasty consequences.

My Raffles Place office was once ransacked and I was later asked to leave Singapore.

As well as being banned for years from Myanmar, I have been roughed up in Vietnam and recently denied media accreditation.

I’ve also been knocked about in parliament, sued in court, and subjected to interrogation at the police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and subsequently jailed.

I’ve been smacked in the gob in Thailand and publicly chastised by the head of the prime minister’s office in Brunei.

One might ask why they do such things to regular, mild-mannered blokes like me who are just doing their job and behaving as roving corsairs for truth.

But that’s why you need a degree of madness. And anyway, I can’t say I’m complaining when I have a bagful of Calcutta-like memories to look back on – and more to look forward to.

After that long-ago dinner at Tolly, a taxi came for me early next morning to take me to Dum Dum airport. Dawn was breaking and massed choirs of birds echoed around the golf course.

As we drove through the streets, with hundreds of sleeping bodies lined up on the pavements as if for burial, I recalled the other passage from The Four Quartets that I love and always re-read. It is aptly on the last page.

“We shall not cease from exploration/And the end of all our exploring/Will be to arrive where we started/And know the place for the first time.”

I am still exploring. I have told you about Calcutta, but it could have been La Paz, Moulmein, Tirana, Zanzibar or myriad other places where I’ve been searching in vain for my starting point.

Perhaps I am a little mad. But remember those stats and take a glance around. Yes, that’s right, most of them are insane.

So relax. Enjoy the new year. Me, I’m off to Papua New Guinea.