Oct 21: Reuters reported: "The Cambodian government signed
an agreement with Japanese firms for the $14.7 million second stage of the rehabilitation
of Phnom Penh's river port. The contract is part of a $30 million Japanese government
grant to upgrade and extend the port for freighters coming up the Mekong River to
the Cambodian capital.
Oct 23: Reuters reported: King Norodom Sihanouk has strongly condemned
moves to boost Cambodia's ties with Taiwan and South Korea, dismissing Taipei as
a province of China and endorsing a long friendship with North Korea. The monarch
charged in a statement that some government officials and others were trying to recognise
both China and Taiwan.
'Such a policy and such diplomacy is absolutely contrary to the... official position
of the U.N.,' he wrote.
'My position taken in the name of Cambodia, since 1955 is and will remain the
same until the end of my life. There is only one China (Peoples' Republic of China)
and Taiwan is and will only be a province of China,' he added."
Oct 23: The Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace held a reception
meeting to commemorate the Paris Peace Agreements.
Oct. 23: Reuters reported: "King Norodom Sihanouk said that free and
fair general elections due in l998 were vital if Cambodia's young and fragile democracy
was to survive. 'For our democracy to survive it is fundamental that the next elections
be free and fair. The preparations of the elections to be held in l998 becomes a
task of tremendous importance,' said Sihanouk in a written message."
Oct. 25: The Cambodia Communication Institute held a seminar on Employment
in Cambodia which was led by Daniel Duysens, the director of the ILO's Bangkok Area
Office. Duysens and his staff discussed the Jobs for Peace Plan and the child-labor
action program.
Oct. 25: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced
that Mrs. Friedrun Medert has assumed the position of Head of Delegation for Cambodia.
Oct. 25: A USIS press release said "USAID signed a grant of $650,000
to International Development Enterprises (IDE) for a Small-Scale Irrigation
Project to be conducted in the provinces of Prey Veng, Svay Rieng, Kompong Chhnang,
Pursat, Battambang, and Siem Reap. The project will focus on manufacture and marketing
of manually-operated treadle and bullock pumps because of their simple but effective
technology. A total of 9,975 pumps will be produced over the four-year life of the
project."
Oct. 25: The National Sub-Committee for the Prevention of Blindness of
the Ministry of Health began a three day national workshop entitled "Implementation
of National Prevention of Blindness Plan of Action."
Oct. 25: Index on Censorship, an international magazine devoted to protecting
the rights of journalists, issued a statement saying that it was "profoundly
concerned to hear about an armed attack on the offices of the paper Serei Pheap Thmey
(New Liberty News) on the afternoon of 23 October, in which office equipment was
destroyed and one office worker injured."
Oct. 26: The UN Organizations in Cambodia held a Meet the Press seminar
at the Council for the Development of Cambodia. TheUN Secretary General's Representative
in Cambodia, Benny Widyono and UNDP Representative Roger Guarda gave presentations
on Peace, Development and Demopcracy and the work of the UN in Cambodia. A new manual
produced by the Cambodia Communication Institute entitled Your Guide
to the UN in Cambodia was also launched.
Oct. 27: The NGO Forum on Cambodia issued a statement that Hunting
Technical Services has withdrawn from a contract with the European Commission due
to pressure from non-governmental organisations. Hunting Technical Services is a
sister company of Hunting Engineering which has produced the HB876 area denial landmine,
with the latter included on a blacklist of companies involved in mine manufacturing
compiled European Parliamentarians.
Oct. 27: Reuters reported: "The U.S. military will start searching
on Oct 30 for the remains of marines killed in the botched 1975 Mayaguez rescue mission,
U.S. servicemen said. They said the search will be backed by the first navy vessel
welcomed in Cambodian waters for more than 20 years."
Oct 27: Reuters reported: "More than 10,000 Cambodians have been forced
to flee their homes after heavy floods in northwest districts which have also raised
concerns over the weak rice harvest, the World Food Programme said. The death toll
from the floods was put at 14, including seven children, up rom ight people last
week, said Peter Guest, project officer with the WFP, citing reports from the Cambodian
Red Cross."
Oct. 29: Thach Bunroeun, his family and friends held a Kathina dana Buddhist
blessing ceremony, reception and receipt of donations at the Preah Sihanouk Raj Academy.
The purpose was to raise funds for the construction of a school for a Kampuchea Krom
village in Vietnam.
Oct. 31: The French Embassy and the French Cultural Center sponsored a
concert by the Manfred Quartet, which was held in the ballroom of the Hotel
Sofitel Cambodiana.
Nov.1: Mekong River Tours, owned by Ron Podlaski, gave a free river
cruise to about 50 orphans from the Friends of All Children orphanage in Kien Khleang.
Podlaski said that the gift to Cambodian children was in honor of His Majesty
King Norodom Sihanouk's birthday. Support for the trip was also received in the form
of donated refreshments from Coca-Cola and La Patisserie.
Nov 2: WHO and the Ministry of Health held a round table meeting on leprosy.
Nov 2: German Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Klaus
Kinkel arrived in Phnom Penh for a three day visit. The foreign minister was accompanied
by a delegation of German businessmen, a group of German Parliamentarians and German
journalists.
His visit includes meetings withnational Assembly Chairman Chea Sim, Prime Ministers
Prince Norodom Ranariddh and Hun Sen, as well as an audience with H.M. King Norodom
Sihanouk and H.M. Queen Monineath Sihanouk. This was the first time a German Foreign
Minister has ever visited Cambodia.
