Dec 10: The Cambodian Institute of Human Rights began a competition aimed

at promoting an understanding of human rights among police, soldiers and military

policemen. The competition will take the form of a quiz testing teams on their knowledge

of human rights, law and their duties in serving the Cambodian people and will be

conducted in 18 provinces.

Dec 16: Agence Khmere de Presse reported: The Australian government has

provided A$945,356 to develop broadcasting in the Mekong region in Cambodia. The

development project was signed on Dec 12 by Ieng Mouly, Minister of Information and

Anthony Kevin, Australian Ambassador to Cambodia. The Cambodian Government also contributed

A$ 27,097 to the project.

Dec 16: Agence Khmere de Presse reported: The European Commission (EC)

has agreed to provide additional funding totaling 9.5 million European Currency Units

(ECU) to the Kingdom, according to a news release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

and International Cooperation. The agreement to provide the aid was signed by Ung

Huot, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and a representative

of the EC. The aid will have three main focuses: the construction, rehabilitation

and equipping of schools, the training of government officials in international relations

and regional integration and a two year extension of the EC's Technical Coordination

Office, established in Phnom Penh in 1994.

Dec 17: Reuters reported: Vietnam said investigations into 19 anti- Hanoi

activists, deported to Vietnam earlier this month, were continuing, but declined

to give details of what had happened to them since their return. Cambodia deported

the 19 Dec 5, drawing an angry response from the United Nations which said the move

violated international conventions and could put some of the activists in danger.

Dec 17: Buddhism for Development began a five day seminar in Battambang

to explore the principles of Buddhism as a code for achieving lasting peace in Cambodia.

Titled Put Down the Gun, Take Up the Dharma, the seminar examined Buddhism and the

family, society, economics and the military. The seminar was held in cooperation

with the Ministry of Cults and Religion and was supported by the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation.

Dec 20: The Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace held a half day

seminar on Cambodia's planned entry to Asean. The seminar looked at strategies that

could be adopted by Cambodia to prepare itself for Asean membership and examined

economic links between Asean and Japan.

Dec 20: The Imperial Angkor Palace Company signed a lease agreement with

the Ministry of Tourism to secure land to develop a 300 room hotel complex in Siem

Reap. The project is a joint venture between the Imperial Hotels Group, TCC Hotels

Ltd of Thailand and the British based Beta Mekong Fund Ltd. The joint venture will

build the Imperial Angkor Hotel on a six hectare site near a 2,700 plot zoned for

tourism, cultural and commercial purposes.

Dec 21: The Phnom Penh Port was handed over to the Royal Government after

a two-and-a-half year refurbishment project. The $32.68 million project- carried

out in two phases - involved the construction of new berthing facillities and the

supply of freight handling equipment. The work has allowed ships to be unloaded in

one day versus three days previously.