Dec 1: Kenneth Roth, Director of Human Rights Watch, sent a letter to the
Co-Prime Ministers stating that Human Rights Watch "is deeply concerned by the
circumstances surrounding the arrest on November 17 of Prince Sirivudh and his continued
detention without order of a court."
Dec 4: Delaney and Co. Indochine Ltd. announced that it had received a
license from the Cambodian Investment Board to open a law firm in Cambodia as of
July 1, l995.
Dec 5: The Royal Group of Companies and Canon Singapore Pte announced the
donation of two color laser copiers to the office of Second Prime Minister Samdech
Hun Sen. A press statement said: "The donation worth $50,000 is a humble contribution
of Canon Singapore and the Royal Group of companies in its committment to support
the government in the economic development and rehabilitation of the Country."
Mr. Meng Kith, chairman of the Royal Group made the presentation.
Dec 5: The volunteer-sending organizations in Cambodia celebrated International
Volunteer Day. More than 200 volunteers are working in Cambodia, including those
from VSO (United Kingdom), APSO (Ireland), OSB (Australia), Forum Syd (Sweden), JOVC
(Japan), VSA (New Zealand), UNV (United Nations) and CANDO, a United States/Khmer
organisation which sends American Khmers back to Cambodia.
Dec 6: Reuters reported: "The Cambodian government has hit back at
critics who accuse it of a broad range of failures, from poor policies on timber
to curbing individual freedoms. In a statement the government listed its achievements
in the past two years and accused the press and some non-governmental organizations
of slander by 'wrongly interpreting fact...in a bid to tarnish the reputation of
the Royal Government and the Cambodian people.' The government has been accused of
corruption, inconsistent timber policies, violation of human rights and stifling
the democratic process... The government's five-page statement claimed success in
establishing political stability and said the police and military had established
peace in 95 percent of the country. It noted that Cambodia had this year become an
observer in ASEAN as a step towards full membership. The free market economy had
attracted investment pledges of more than $2 billion this year, the statement said."
Dec 7: Reuters reported: "King Norodom Sihanouk left for a state visit
to Laos, despite fatigue brought on by diabetes... Travelling with the King is a
29-member delegation, including Foreign Minister Ung Huot, co-Interior Minister You
Hokry and Public Works and Transport Minister Ing Kieth."
Dec 8: Reuters reported: "The United Nations has decided to retain
Cambodia's magnificant Angkor temples on the World Heritage list despite the government's
failure to fully implement conditions, a U.N. official said. The decision was taken
in Berlin on Dec 5 during the annual meeting of the body, which is part of UNESCO."
Dec 8: Reuters reported: "Germany has granted 15 million marks towards
laying a telephone land line that will link the Cambodian capital to Thailand, a
diplomat said. The grant agreement worth about $10 million at present exchange rates,
was signed in Phnom Penh. The diplomat did not know when work would begin and said
further details needed to be ironed out, but she expected some involvement by German
companies. The planned line will link Phnom Penh to the northwest border with Thailand
via Cambodia's second largest city, Battambang, and can be expected to cut phone
costs."
Dec 8: The opening ceremony for the National Pediatric Hospital Dental
Clinic was held with Shigenobu Kato, Minister, embassy of Japan in attendance. The
clinic was renovated and equipped using $18,539 in funds from the Japanese Grant
Assistance for Grass-Roots Projects.
Dec 9: The Federation of Ponleu Khmer sponsored a "Dat Bat" Celebration
Supporting Human Rights in Cambodia in front of the Royal Palace. More than 600 monks,
nuns and lay persons attended the traditional food offering to monks as a means of
showing support for the respect of human rights in Cambodia.
Dec 10: Reuters reported: "The Cambodian government has told opposition
leader Sam Rainsy that his Khmer Nation Party (KNP) is barred from opening offices
anywhere in the Kingdom... Sar Kheng and You Hokry told Rainsy of the ban in a Dec.
7 letter which was seen in Phnom Penh on Sunday. They told Rainsy the order applied
so long as his party was not 'oficially recognised by the Royal Government of the
Kingdom of Cambodia.' They urged the KNP to stop using on its party logo the image
of 12th century ruler Jayavarman VII, the last great king of the Angkor empire, a
forerunner of the present kingdom. This was a symbol of the entire nation, they said."
Dec 12: UNICEF began a three-day "Regional Workshop on the Trafficking
of Children for Sexual Exploitation" at the Juliana Hotel. The purpose was to
gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of the situation; analyze policy
and programming experience; formulate a set of recommendations, policy framework
and programme guidelines for prevention and intervention; and to recommend short
and long term measures for effective regional/international coordination and cooperation.
Dec 12: The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
began a two-day seminar entitled "Election Monitoring, Voter Education and the
Role of Cambodian NGOs in the Election Process" at the Cambodiana Hotel. The
seminar included speakers from NAMFREL in the Philippines, the Movement for Free
and Fair Elections (MFRE) in Sri Lanka and PollWatch in Thailand.
Dec 12: The Cambodia Communication Institute hosted a seminar entitled
"UNICEF in Cambodia" to mark the 50th anniversary of UNICEF.
Dec 12: UNDP issued a press release stating: "The United Nations Industrial
Development Organization (UNIDO) has announced on 9 October l995 that the Kingdom
of Cambodia has joined the organization as the 169th Member State. 'The people of
the Kingdom of Cambodia have demonstrated phenomenal resilience since the 1970s',
said Mauricio de Maria y Campos, UNIDO Director-General. 'The relatively strong economic
performance from small and medium-sized enterprises in industrial sectors, suggests
that an increase in investment and in the development of the public sector infrastructure
would result in a substantial rise in economic growth. UNIDO is committed to working
with the Kingdom of Cambodia to strengthen its core industries and therefore improve
the overall quality of life for the people.'"
