T hree days of celebration at Olympic Stadium are being organized for the Chinese

New Year. Cambodian, Chinese, Philippine and Thai entertainers will be featured

at the Feb 10-12 events.

Ticket prices are $10 for VIP seats, $5 for the

second tier and $3 for general admission. Khmer journalists at the Jan. 20 press

conference to announce the event expressed doubt that many Cambodian people

could pay for even the cheapest seats.

The Chinese New Year Celebration

at the Olympic Stadium will be the second such "concert." The previous one, held

before the May elections, attracted 5-6,000 people. It was the first concert

held in Cambodia since 1975. Marred by rain, many concert-goers were

disappointed that it failed to live up to high expectations.

Oum Sovanny

a well known Cambodian actress attended the press conference with Yuas Bo Vanak

a Cambodian film star. They announced that Ma Neka, a Thai film star, would

perform at the event. Cambodians have seen her in a Thai show shown on IBC-TV in

which she played a selfish and evil woman.

The promoters of the event say

that a percentage of the funds raised will be given to the United Neutral Khmer

Students Association. Officers of the association declined to say what

percentage they expected to gain.

Leng Vannarat, an officer in the United

Neutral Khmer Students Association said that the organization was non-political,

it was neutral. According to Vannarat, the main goals of the four month-old

organization are "to increase understanding among students world-wide and to

help students in job placement." He said that the money raised would be used to

open a bookstore and to develop an AIDS program.

Chamroeun Vath, also

with the student association said that they have advisors from both major

political parties, and connections to In Tam, the President of the Democratic

Party, and former Prime Minister under Sihanouk.

IBC - TV is backing and

Angkor Beer is supporting the event.