Feb 7: The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC) announced new charges

for telephone subscription and usage. As of March 1 for fixed telephones: monthly

rentals will be $15 per month; calls to fixed telephones within the same area will

be US 3 cents per minute (first 50 minutes of calls made to MPTC will be free); calls

to mobile phones in the same area will be US 8 cents per minute. Long distance calls

to fixed phones will be US 50 cents per minute; calls to mobile phones will be US

60 cents per minute.

Feb 11: Two days of training for Cambodian Immigration Police officials

began at the U.S. Embassy. Training was designed to enhance the officers' skills

at detecting fraudulent travel documents and other false paperwork, and was conducted

by three officers of the U.S. Immigration and Natrualization Service (INS). More

than 100 police officers from the Immigration Division and the Crime Suppression/Interpol

Unit attended the course. According to an embassy press release the aim of the program

was "to enable the officers to better detect counterfiet documents used by alien

smugglers, narcotics traffickers and others involved in organized crime."

Feb 14: Her Majesty Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk presided over the

foundation stone laying ceremony for the new terminal at Pochentong Airport. Co-Prime

Ministers Norodom Ranariddh and Hun Sen were in attendance. The multi-million dollar

project is being undetaken by Societé Concessionnaire de l'Aeroport.

Feb 14: The new Indian Ambassador H.E. Jasjit Singh Randhawa presented

his credentials to His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk at the Tevea Vinichhay Palace

of the Royal palace.

Feb 14: The Australian Embassy said Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs

Alexander Downer has announced a contribution of an extra US$3 million over three

years from Australia's overseas aid program to combat the effects of anti-personnel

landmines in Cambodia. This is in addition to the US$9.1 million announced last year,

which included US$6.8 million for CMAC.

Feb 15: Raffles International announced that Ms. Siv Samnang has been appointed

to head up "Special Projects" for the group. Her responsibilities will

include special events coordination, marketing communications, and visitor protocol.

Raffles has the contract to restore the Hotel Le Royal and Grand Hotel d'Angkor.

Feb 17: The Cambodian Labor Organization announced that they would hold

a workshop on Feb 19, 20, 21 to disseminate research on workers' conditions, the

settlement of workers issues and the formation of trade unions.

Feb 18: The French Government donated six computers, three printers, two

fax machines, and related equipment to the Ministry of Interior to assist with the

preparations for commune and national elections. As well, multi-lingual software

(Khmer, French, English, German and Japanese) was donated and will be installed to

help with the development of voter registration lists and electoral maps. The contributions

were valued at US$150,000 and are part of French assistance to help with Cambodia's

electoral processes.

Feb 18: The Women's Media Centre of Cambodia and the Cooperation Committee

of Cambodia previewed a film "NGOs in Cambodia" at the Hotel Sofitel Cambodiana,

part of their NGO short film project. Sponsors included: AusAID, ACR, PACT, PADEK,

CRS, OXFAM UK, USAID, UNDP, and CARERE.

Feb 18: B.A.T. Cambodia Ltd announced that it would hold a press conference

on Feb 21 to introduce Mr. Paul Adams, Regional Asia-Pacific Business Unit Director,

BAT. Mr. Adams was to unveil BAT's model for a two phase expansion of its current

facilities, plus officially launch three new state-of-the-art machines for the Cambodia

factory.