He's baaaaack!

The NRP congress (Photo: CEN)

Cambodia's Prince Ranariddh Officially Restarts Political Career

PHNOM PENH, Dec 11 (Bernama) -- Cambodia's Prince Norodom Ranariddh returned to politics on Saturday after more than two years' departure, vowing to reunite royalists for the national election in 2013, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

The Nationalist Party changed its name to its original name Norodom Ranariddh Party and unanimously elected Prince Norodom Ranariddh as the president of the party at its general assembly on Saturday with 500 deputies present, according to the party's press release.

"I agreed to reenter politics to lead the party in order to reunite the real royalists and Sihanoukists who have been split a part to join the party to construct the nation, to build a national unification, to protect sovereignty, territorial integrity, and to develop the nation in all domains," the prince told the general assembly.

The prince said that the party will hold "the middle stance", not act as the opposition party, but re-mobilise the royalists and cooperate with the ruling Cambodian People's Party to build the nation.

The prince announced in October 2008 his complete resignation from politics after his Norodom Ranariddh Party won only two seats in the National Assembly in general election in July 2008. The party then changed its name to the Nationalist Party.

The National Assembly is made up of 123 lawmakers from Cambodian People's Party of Prime Minister Hun Sen, opposition Sam Rainsy Party, Human Rights Party, FUNCINPEC Party, and Norodom Ranariddh Party.

The Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP) was established in 2007 after the prince was toppled from the president of the royalist FUNCINPEC Party in 2006.

Prince Ranariddh is now a president of the supreme advisory council to King Norodom Sihamoni.

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen warned Thursday he would propose to King Norodom Sihanomi to revoke Prince Norodom Ranariddh's role as the president of the supreme advisory council to King Norodom Sihamoni if the prince reenters politics.

Prince Ranariddh is the son of former King Norodom Sihahouk and is the elder brother of the present King Norodom Sihamoni. He had been the first prime minister in 1993 and the president of the National Assembly in 1998.

Families Deal With Shock of Diamond Bridge Tragedy

Photo: by Heng Reaksmey

Chea Channy, far right, who was also on the bridge, escaped with other siblings. She spoke along with other family members on a special edition of “Hello VOA” Wednesday.

“Even when I sleep, I still hear their voices calling for help in my ears. I don't know when I'll forget this.”

Family members who lost loved ones in last week's Diamond Bridge stampede say they have been traumatized by the event, which claimed at least 351 lives.

“I'm still in shock,” said Chea Channy, whose 45-year-old father died on the bridge. “Even when I sleep, I still hear their voices calling for help in my ears. I don't know when I'll forget this.”

Chea Channy, who was also on the bridge, escaped with other siblings. She spoke along with other family members on a special edition of “Hello VOA” Wednesday.

The Nov. 22 bridge tragedy shocked the nation and led to an outpouring of donations and sympathy. No one has been singled out for responsibility, in what Prime Minister Hun Sen called an accident without blame.

Family members will receive up to $12,000 each from different organizations, the government, the owners of Diamond Island, and others. But the full reality of the disaster had yet to sink in for some.

Hun Ratha, a monk, lost his 19-year-old brother, Vichet, on the bridge. Vichet had been the breadwinner, and his mother, who was working abroad, has come back to mourn him.

“She is still in great shock and finds it hard to bear the fact that her son has died,” Hun Ratha said.

But he offered some comfort to other victims: “People will eventually die. Therefore, we should learn to calm our feelings of shock. Those who died did not know in advance there would be danger awaiting them. If they had, they would not have gone there. They are now at peace.”

Some family members suggested keeping the bridge as a memorial for victims and not reopening it for public use.

“It would be good if the government kept this bridge just as a memory of the dead victims, because it is very scary to cross it again,” Chea Channy said. “As for me I dare not go there to see it again. I am afraid. The incident was too bad.”

Cut troops, cut tension

2/12/2010
Editorial
Bangkok Post

The reality we all have to accept is that closer relations between Thailand and Cambodia will not come about overnight, though one must agree that we are on the right track towards reaching that goal.

The latest sign of improving ties is a decision by the two governments on a visa-free agreement. The agreement, which was signed by Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong during the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy in Phnom Penh on Nov 16, will take effect on Dec 16.

It will undoubtedly encourage travel, foster people contacts and bolster the tourism sector of the two countries. Thais and Cambodians can stay in each other's countries for 14 days without the need to apply for a visa, as is required at present.

This visa-free initiative would not have been possible if the two countries were still at odds with each other. Back in July, Thailand and Cambodia were still on different paths over the management plan of Preah Vihear Temple, which in 2008 was listed as a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Bangkok had blocked the plan on grounds that the overlapping area of 4.6 square kilometres around the ancient temple must be demarcated first.

But things have turned around, since ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra became no longer needed by Cambodia as an adviser to Phnom Penh and stepped down from that position in August. That cleared the way for Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Cambodian Premier Hun Sen to try to restore deteriorating ties at a meeting in the United States a month later.

Although Thaksin no longer stands in the way for the two leaders to improve bilateral relations, the present atmosphere is not conducive for the two countries to sit down and search for a way out on the management plan for Preah Vihear. But they still have plenty of time to carefully and thoroughly work out the issue before it is tabled again at the World Heritage Committee meeting hosted by Bahrain in June next year.

The decision by Phnom Penh yesterday to delay the opening of the border with Thailand at the ancient temple underlines the sensitivity of the issue. Cambodia has closed this portion of the border opposite Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket province since June 2008, following brief armed clashes. Recently improving relations have raised hopes that the border gates could be re-opened one day soon.

Thus far, this has not been realised.

Still, what is more important than the border re-opening is the serious effort to ease border tensions and prevent future conflicts in the disputed land area around the temple.

Bangkok and Phnom Penh have their troops stationed around Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara, located at the foot of Preah Vihear, to back their sovereignty claims. The Thai and Cambodian soldiers there are on amicable terms, though there is a certain amount of wariness.

So far both sides have been reluctant to reduce forces in the overlapping zone. Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh agreed in October to adjust the positioning of their troops. But that meant nothing except moving the soldiers away from one spot to another. And it certainly is not enough. Peace at the border will be possible only with fewer soldiers - if not the total withdrawal of all Thai and Cambodian troops from the area.