20140612

THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2014 Successful People Read The Post 4000 RIEL
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SPECIAL WORLD CUP WALL POSTER - Inside
NATIONAL [PAGE 2]
PEACEKEEPING DEATHS
BUSINESS [PAGE 7]
ECO-ECONOMICS
WORLD [PAGE 15]
QUANTUM LEAP
Two Cambodians deployed
on a UN mission in Mali died
of suspected food poisoning
S&P has ranked Cambodias
economy the most vulernable
to climate change
Scientists believe the genetic
modication of mosquitoes
could eradicate malaria
Kate Hodal, Chris Kelly
and Felicity Lawrence
SLAVES forced to work for no pay for
years at a time under threat of
extreme violence are being used in
Thailand in the production of sea-
food sold by major US, British and
other European retailers.
The Thai government estimates
that up to 300,000 people work in its
fishing industry the vast majority
from Cambodia and Myanmar 90
per cent of whom are migrants vul-
nerable to being duped, trafficked
and sold into the fishing industry.
Fifteen migrant workers from Cam-
bodia and Myanmar told how they
had been enslaved. They said they
paid brokers to help them find work
in Thailand in factories or on build-
ing sites. But they were sold instead
to boat captains, sometimes for as
little as $420.
I thought I was going to die, said
Vuthy, a former monk from Cambo-
dia who was sold from captain to
captain. They kept me chained up,
they didnt care about me or give me
any food . . . They sold us like animals,
but we are not animals we are
human beings.
A six-month investigation by the
Guardian newspaper has established
that large numbers of men, bought
and sold like animals and held against
their will on fishing boats off Thai-
land, are integral to the production
of prawns (commonly called shrimp
in the US) sold in leading supermar-
kets around the world, including the
top four global retailers: Wal-Mart,
Carrefour, Costco and Tesco.
The investigation found that the
Kevin Ponniah
Analysis
CAMBODIA'S strongman is back. Or at least he
wants to remind everyone why he still deserves
the title.
Prime Minister Hun Sens hourlong speech
on Tuesday a return to form after months of
relative quiet was at times threatening, at
times conciliatory and at all times entertaining.
But it was also intended to remind the populace
that only one man calls the shots in the King-
dom, analysts said yesterday.
From the context [of the speech] it seems
that he was not really happy with rumours that
spread around that he was suffering from a
stroke. And he is angry that some people wished
him dead [and] there was no expression of sym-
pathy. He was frustrated and angry and he went
out and let out that anger, veteran political
commentator Lao Mong Hay said.
He was also posturing himself as the boss
[by trying to say] I am in charge and I make
concessions so you should be thankful to
me . . . I grant you all these things.
During Tuesdays speech, the prime minister
appeared to be granting opposition demands
such as a TV licence and constitutional status
for the NEC on a whim, almost as if they were
friendly favours, not items that have been on
the negotiating table for months.
And despite his apparent munificence, he
threatened opposition leaders from the Cam-
bodia National Rescue Party which continues
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
and Alice Cuddy
W
ITH the World Cup set to
kick off in Brazil today,
gamblers in Phnom
Penh are preparing to
place their bets, while city authorities
are warning that unauthorised
wagers will not be tolerated.
Dara*, a seasoned gambler who regu-
larly bets on football matches, told the
Post that he has signed up to an online
gambling website to place his World
Cup bets.
I have just called my broker to ask for
an account to play online . . . I paid the
broker $10 to get an account and pass-
word to log in and out for betting on the
World Cup, he said.
Once weve created the account we
can gamble online and when we win we
call our broker to pay us the money.
Dara, who refused to disclose any
details about his broker, said the illegal
system is based on trust.
The authorities will not be able to
crack down [on this] easily because
most of the players will lay their wagers
online with their smartphones,
he said.
According to the Law on the Suppres-
sion of Gambling, which was adopted
by the National Assembly in 1996,
Continues on page 12
Cambodian
slaves put
prawns in
Wests shops
Gamblers ready for kick-off
Hun Sen reminds foes that he still runs country
Continues on page 6
Continues on page 2
Followers sit before a line of police outside the compound of a leading member of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Korea in Anseong yesterday. Thousands of
South Korean police forced their way into the compound in search of a missing businessman wanted in connection with April's ferry disaster. AFP
Police raid
STORY > 13
National
2
THE PHNOM PENH POST JUNE 12, 2014
In brief
Authorities nixed Prey
Lang meet-up: activists
A PUBLIC forum due to be
held yesterday by the Prey
Lang Community Network in
Preah Vihear provinces Chey
Sen district was cancelled
after the provincial authorities
banned the meeting. Seng Sok
Heng, coordinator of the
Community Peace Building
Network, who joined about 300
forest activists for the forum
yesterday, said the activists
were disappointed by the
decision. The Prey Lang
activists . . . returned home
upset and angry with the
authorities that denied their
request, Sok Heng said. He
added that the district
authorities had told the
activists, some of whom had
travelled through the forest for
days by motorbike for the
meeting, that a new date
would be set for the forum,
where activists were to present
evidence of illegal logging to
the authorities. MOM KUNTHEAR
Twenty-three students
faint at K Cham school
TWENTY-THREE female high
school students fainted
yesterday, leaving the
principal, Touch Vuthy, at a
loss to explain the
phenomenon. Vuthy, head of
the Hun Sen Peam Chikorng
High School in Kampong
Cham provinces Peam
Chikorng commune, said the
students fainted after arriving
for class at about 7:30am. I
really do not know what the
cause of the fainting is. But I
am sure that they did not faint
because of poisonous food or
bad smells, since the school
environment is good, Vuthy
said. The students all aged
between 17 and 18 were sent
to the Prey Chhor district
hospital and the provincial
hospital. A doctor at the
provincial hospital, Kim
Suorphirun, said they suffered
from a lack of oxygen to the
brain. KHOUTH SOPHAK CHAKRYA
Two die on UN Mali mission
PMs cabinet warns of imposters
Vong Sokheng
TWO Cambodians deployed on
a United Nations peacekeeping
mission in the West African
nation of Mali died on Tuesday
night in an apparent case of
food poisoning, a senior official
with the Royal Cambodian
Armed Forces said yesterday.
Sem Sovanny, director-gener-
al of the RCAFs National Centre
for Peacekeeping Forces, Mine
and Explosive Remnants of War
Clearance, said the UN had yet
to confirm what caused the
deaths of Captain Meak Serey-
vatana and Lieutenant Ny Nol,
but preliminary conclusions
pointed to tainted food.
The deaths mark the first loss
of Cambodian soldiers in eight
years of UN peacekeeping mis-
sions overseas, Sovanny said,
adding that the government
has not set a date for the repa-
triation of the two bodies.
We are not sure about the
cause of death because the
bodies are still being examined
by the United Nations foren-
sics team, he continued.
The UN resident coordina-
tors office referred all ques-
tions to the RCAF.
Members of the Royal Cam-
bodian Armed Forces operat-
ing as part of a United Nations
peacekeeping mission were
dispatched to Mali in February.
The contingent Cambodias
first to Mali under the aegis of
the UN was charged with
undertaking demining, ord-
nance disposal and airport
maintenance.
Mali was plunged into tur-
moil following a coup in March
2012. France launched a mili-
tary operation last year that
helped to oust rebels, but
fighting continues.
The Kingdom has been send-
ing peacekeeping troops
abroad since 2006. ADDITIONAL
REPORTING BY AMELIA WOODSIDE
May Titthara
PRIME Minister Hun Sens
cabinet has issued a notice to
the armed forces and officials
at the provincial and local lev-
els to be wary of a phone scam
in which the caller claims affil-
iation with the premier and
solicits money in exchange for
promotions or a higher rank.
The cabinet would like to
inform provincial/municipal
officers and all armed forces to
be wary of the above rogues,
the notice says, referring to the
scammers, who tell officials
they are calling from Hun Sens
cabinet and ask for money to
be sent via Wing, a popular wire
transfer service.
If they call and claim that
they are the cabinet officers
and ask you to send money for
any job, please ask the cabinet
beforehand to avoid the cheat-
ing by the rogues, the notice,
signed by chief of the cabinet
Ho Sithy, says.
District and provincial gover-
nors, police and military officer
have all been targets of the ruse,
an official whose number was
listed on the notice said yester-
day, declining to be named.
We have been trying to
arrest them for days, but to no
avail, because they do not have
IDs when they buy SIM cards,
so we cannot find their
address, he said.
According to the official,
callers demand money in
exchange for arranging docu-
ments. The higher the rank or
promotion, the higher the
price, he said.
Bids have ranged between
$200 and $2,000.
Chan Sovet, senior investiga-
tor of rights group Adhoc, said
hes heard anecdotes about
police officers throwing parties
worth thousands of dollars
after being caught up in the
con. But its not as if the offer is
so unrealistic, he said.
What happens is because of
corruption, leading the rogues
to capitalise on cheating.
Talks on after TV offer
Meas Sokchea
T
HE ruling and op-
position parties will
restart political ne-
gotiations today and
discuss the details of conces-
sions offered by Prime Min-
ister Hun Sen on Tuesday as
part of efforts to induce the
opposition to join parliament,
party ofcials have said.
Cambodia National Rescue
Party lawmaker-elect Kuoy
Bunroeun and Interior Min-
istry Secretary of State Prum
Sokha conrmed yesterday
that there would be a face-to-
face meeting between working
groups today to discuss the of-
fer of a TV licence to the CNRP
and making the National Elec-
tion Committee a constitu-
tionally mandated body.
Hun Sen conrmed that the
ruling Cambodian Peoples
Party had agreed to both of
those demands on Tuesday.
We are focusing on the
speech of Samdech Hun Sen,
who agreed to this in princi-
ple. We must discuss more in
detail and have an agreement
that will address all issues to
avoid interference [in the TV
channel], Bunroeun said.
He added that an oppo-
sition-aligned TV station
which would be run by a pri-
vate company would have
the purpose of broadcasting
diverse views and would allow
civil society groups and NGOs
ample airtime.
Sokha, of the CPP, conrmed
that the two issues would be
on the table but emphasised
that they were part of what had
already been agreed to during
an April 9 phone conversa-
tion between the premier and
CNRP leader Sam Rainsy.
We have already sent doc-
uments to the CNRP. This
proves that what Rainsy asked
for is ne. We are waiting to
hear what other demands
they have.
After the April phone con-
versation, Hun Sen accused
Rainsys deputy, Kem Sokha,
of being too hardline on an
early election date and hold-
ing up a deal struck between
the two leaders.
Analyst Kem Ley said that
the premier was trying to push
the CNRP deputy leader to -
nally acquiesce to that agree-
ment. The strategy is to push
Kem Sokha to accept and to
follow Sam Rainsy. Kem Sokha
always disagrees with Sam
Rainsy, Ley said.
Separately, Rainsy and Kem
Sokha were met by a group of
protesters outside their hotel
in Koh Kong provinces Khe-
marak Phoumin city yester-
day. The party alleged that the
CPP had paid the demonstra-
tors to disrupt them, a claim
the ruling party rejected.
A group of protesters block a road in Koh Kong province yesterday to
stop opposition leaders from passing. PHOTO SUPPLIED
Continued from page 1
to boycott parliament with
arrest, while reminding Cam-
bodians that if he really did
die, all hell would break loose.
According to Mong Hay, giv-
en the recent conciliatory ges-
tures such as the suspended
sentences given to 23 workers
and activists arrested during
protests in January, Hun Sen
may be worried that people
think he has mellowed.
Lets put it this way: he has
gone a bit soft. But at the same
time he is [trying] to put up
the image of being strong and
in charge.
Political manoeuvring,
horse-trading or outright
deadlock has occurred after
every national election since
1993, and Hun Sen has a tried
and true strategy for eventu-
ally bringing political parties
together, analysts say.
I think this is consistent
with the way Hun Sen has
approached similar political
deadlock in the past. He will
lay out an assortment of car-
rots and sticks, said Sebastian
Strangio, author of the forth-
coming book Hun Sens Cam-
bodia and a former reporter at
the Post. There have always
been threats and inducements.
Its very much a hallmark of the
way Hun Sen operates.
In 1998 and in 2003, the post-
election deadlock ended after
Funcinpec was lured into a co-
alition with the CPP through a
host of government positions.
Although this time it may
seem like the premier is offer-
ing more signicant conces-
sions to the opposition, he is
again pursuing a calculated
agenda, analyst Kem Ley said.
The CPP has its own goals
[and will] reform for control-
ling, for winning, the next elec-
tion. Even if he allows them
to have some concessions . . .
nothing has been agreed in
details, so in operation he can
move in a exible way.
But the whole carrot-and-
stick strategy is awed, said
Human Rights Party president
Son Soubert, as it represents a
political leader taking the law
into his own hands.
The offer of the TV licence
and so on, it [should be] the
right of any political party and
individual who has freedom
of speech under the constitu-
tion, he said.
Its not, Now I can give it
to you, and if you are nice
I can continue, and if not, I
will nd some reason to [take
it away].
Hun Sen reminds foes
that hes still in charge
UN rights
monitor to
arrive for
10-day trip
Daniel Pye
UNITED Nations Special Rap-
porteur Surya Subedi will
arrive in Cambodia on Sunday
for an official 10-day visit, dur-
ing which he will seek to follow
up on his last human rights
monitoring mission in Janu-
ary, according to a UN state-
ment released yesterday.
The visit will be Subedis 11th
to Cambodia since he was
appointed to the position in
March 2009.
As a follow-up to my last
mission in January this year,
the focus of this mission will be
to further explore the progress
made by the Royal Government
of Cambodia towards estab-
lishing independent human
rights institutions, Subedi said
in the statement.
I also intend to use this visit
to assess progress on the imple-
mentation of the recommen-
dations made in my previous
reports dealing with judiciary,
parliamentary, electoral and
land reform in Cambodia,
he added.
The envoy last month spoke
out against three draft judicial
laws which he had previously
praised as a chance to enact
deep reforms, saying that he
was deeply concerned that
the Ministry of Justice was
being granted powers over
the courts.
In his last visit to Cambodia,
he said he was alarmed by
anti-Vietnamese rhetoric used
by opposition leaders.
UN peacekeepers participate in a ceremony in February at Phnom Penh
International Airport before departing for Mali. VIREAK MAI
www.phnompenhpost.com
CHECK THE POST WEBSITE
FOR BREAKING NEWS
National
3
Migrant labourers flood border
Laignee Barron and
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
D
IN Phivorn, 20,
crammed into a
Thai army truck
yesterday morning
with 15 or so other migrant
workers and headed to the
Poipet checkpoint he crossed
more than two years ago, lured
by the promise of work.
Now, dismissed from his
employment as a construc-
tion worker, he has no idea
where he will sleep or how he
will earn a living one among
thousands of undocumented
Cambodian labourers subject
to an unprecedented mass de-
portation instigated by Thai-
lands junta.
Ofcial government gures
list 7,500 Cambodian work-
ers deported over the rst
nine days of June, but rights
groups say the number is even
higher, with more than 10,000
and counting streaming over
the border, more than half of
them women and children.
Ive been working here for
10 years and Ive never seen
anything like this, said Suong
Sopheap, Banteay Meanchey
provincial manager of the
Cambodia Womens Crisis
Center. Normally, one or two
trucks sometimes come and
drop off workers, but now ev-
ery day 30 or more come, even
at night. Its constant.
Turned into what resembles
a refugee camp full of tempo-
rary tents, the Poipet border
ofce cant keep up with the
continuous truckloads of de-
posited workers, according
to Sopheap, so deportees line
both sides of the border in the
hundreds, with many, like Phi-
vorn, effectively stranded.
So many have nowhere to
go, but they would rather be
homeless in Cambodia than
dare to go back to Thailand,
Sopheap said.
For Phivorn, the choice to
stay or go was made for him
after he was essentially torn
from his life in Thailand.
My construction employer
asked us to return to Cam-
bodia temporarily because
the Thai military government
announced that they would
check all companies and if
they found illegal migrant
workers, they would ne the
employer 10,000 baht ($333)
for each worker and would ar-
rest and bring the worker to
detention, he said.
Phivorn didnt need further
convincing after a rumour
now familiar to most deport-
ees at the compound started
spreading: any undocument-
ed Cambodian found by the
army may be shot and killed
if they dont leave the country
within the next two months.
Cambodian ofcials from
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
yesterday said the govern-
ment is working to ensure that
no undocumented workers
face retribution.
So far, our ambassador
has met with relevant Thai
authorities to facilitate the
return of illegal workers, For-
eign Ministry spokesman Koy
Kuong said. We ask Thailand
not to punish them, just to
send them home.
While Kuong framed the re-
patriations as an opportunity
for Cambodian businesses, mi-
gration experts said the draco-
nian policy could backre for
Thailand, which depends on
its estimated 3.5 million-strong
migrant labour workforce.
Many industries in Thailand
would come to a standstill if
the migrants were not here,
including the manufacturing
industry, seafood processing,
shing industry, fruit orchards,
rubber plantations, the list is
endless, said Kanchana Di-ut,
program director at Thai NGO
MAP Foundation.
But so far, the truckloads of
deportees are continuing un-
abated, and with an estimated
100,000-250,000 undocument-
ed Cambodian workers still in
Thailand, local authorities said
they cant do much more than
scramble to help those on their
way home.
Cambodian migrant workers are transported in a Thai immigration police vehicle across the Poipet
International Checkpoint over the weekend. PHOTO SUPPLIED
Charges for
group after
hit-and-run
Phak Seangly
MILITARY police in Mondulki-
ri province plan to send five
men to the provincial court
today on charges of intention-
al, planned murder after a
Lexus carrying them allegedly
rammed a motorbike early on
Sunday, killing the bikes driver
and passenger, both military
police officers.
Chheav Samnang and Oub
Sopheaktra, both in their 20s,
were hit and killed in Sen
Monoroms Spean Meanchey
commune at 1:30am on Sun-
day after an argument with a
group of men, according to
police. Five of the men that
police say were in the Lexus
were arrested the same day.
Vong Rachana, penalty office
director of the provincial mili-
tary police, identified the five as
Khim Samnang, 23; Oeurn Sam
Oun, 22; Pheap Pros, 23; Ly
Thou, 20; and Sreng Panha, 24.
The problem was just caused
by a minor argument at an
entertainment club, said
Rachana, who told the Post that
the men were from Kandal
province and worked in timber
transportation. Police are still
looking for the driver.
National
4
Smugglers caught
Ivory seized
on way to
Cambodia
A
HUGE haul of ivory illegally
smuggled from Angola
and destined for Cambodia
was seized by Hong Kong customs
yesterday after mechanical prob-
lems forced the plane carrying the
cargo to undergo an inspection.
Fifteen Vietnamese smugglers
aged between 20 and 54 were
arrested after customs unloaded
the planes cargo and discovered
790 kilograms of elephant ivory.
Ng King-hong, head of Airport
Command at the Hong Kong
Customs and Excise Department,
said that it was unusual for such a
large consignment of tusks to be
transported by air.
They denitely wanted to skip
Hong Kong. But unfortunately
[for them] their ight broke
down, he said.
The seizure follows a number
of high-prole discoveries
of ivory smuggling in recent
months in Cambodia.
Seng Teak, regional conserva-
tion director of WWF Greater Me-
kong, said: Ivory trafckers may
perceive Cambodia as a weak link
for transporting ivory . . . However,
the recent seizures of ivory across
Cambodia demonstrate strong
action by Cambodian government
agencies. DANIEL PYEANDAFP
Second phase of KRT case set
Stuart White

T
HE Khmer Rouge tri-
bunal yesterday set
a date for the rst
hearing in upcom-
ing Case 002/02, instructing
parties to appear in court on
July 30 to begin hammering
out the particulars of how the
second subtrial in the courts
agship case will proceed.
According to a ling from the
courts trial chamber, the ini-
tial hearing will hew strictly
to matters concerning the
new subtrials sequence, civil
parties proposals for new
reparations projects and out-
standing preliminary objec-
tions and other legal issues
pertaining to the new case.
The Chamber will not hear
oral argument during the
hearing in relation to any is-
sue other than those indicated
above, the ling reads.
Coincidentally, the an-
nouncement that the initial
hearing would deal with civil
party reparations came on a
day when civil party lawyers
and others had gathered to
discuss just that.
Reparations requests in
recently ended Case 002/01
have been nalised and in
all but one instance funded,
but the process of securing the
money was long and arduous,
at times requiring the help of
civil party lawyers themselves.
As lead national civil party
co-lawyer Pich Ang put it yes-
terday: The purpose of hold-
ing todays session is to start
[the reparations process] as
soon as possible.
From the experience we
had in Case 002/01, we spent
a lot of time to develop and
prepare the projects, and after
that, we had some time to do
the fundraising, and the time
was very limited, he said.
The courts current -
nancial stability should
make things easier this time
around, he added.
Several of the proposals dis-
tributed at yesterdays meeting
had relevance to specic charg-
es in Case 002/02, like sexual
violence, and genocide against
the Vietnamese and the Cham.
To those ends, one program
would offer vocational train-
ing to the children of forced
marriages; another would seek
to help ethnic Vietnamese
Cambodians whose families
lost documentation of their
citizenship under the Khmer
Rouge. Yet another would pro-
vide access to free health care.
I think that makes a lot of
sense, because of the crimes
were dealing with in this case
torture, enslavement that
created very real physical ail-
ments, civil party consultant
Katrina Natale said.
Civil party and S-21 survi-
vor Chum Mey, who attended
yesterdays forum, said he was
pleased with the discussions,
and said that tangible repara-
tions had intangible benets.
It is psychological repara-
tion, he said.
S-21 survivor Chum Mey (right) attends a civil party discussion yesterday in Phnom Penh. DANIEL QUINLAN
Sean Teehan
CAMBODIA was last week
elected as a regular member to
the International Labour Or-
ganizations Governing Body.
The Kingdom is one of
28 regular members, 18 of
whom are voted in according
to region. The other 10 posi-
tions on the roster are non-
elective. Along with Cam-
bodia, elected to the Asia-
Pacic region are Iran, the
United Arab Emirates and
South Korea.
Labour Minister Ith Sam
Heng saw Cambodias new po-
sition as proof of the nations
progressive labour policy, ac-
cording to state-run Agence
Kampuchea Presse.
Such success informs the
world that Cambodia has a
good working condition in the
world, Sam Heng told AKP.
But Jeffrey Vogt, legal ad-
viser to the International
Trade Union Confederation,
said the position does not
equate to an endorsement of
practices in Cambodia.
[It] by no means gives them
a stamp of approval, Vogt said.
There are a couple of rogue
countries on that list.
Cambodia
elected to
ILO body
National
5
Fraudsters ned
Conviction
after group
fund is lost
A
GAMBLING couples luck
ran out yesterday when a
judge sentenced them to
two years in prison and issued
$82,000 in nes and restitution af-
ter nding them guilty of blowing
a group investment at the casino.
Phnom Penh municipal judge
Kim Dany convicted Pin Chanthy,
33, of fraud for taking $80,000
of 20 peoples mutually invested
money and spending it, rather
than saving or investing it. Her
30-year-old husband, Kong
Ratha, evaded arrest but was
convicted in absentia.
The court sentenced them
both to two years in prison
and 8 million ($2,000) riel in
nes, Dany said. They are also
ordered to jointly pay $80,000 to
the victims.
In the so-called tontine, a
complex investment agreement
that can take various forms,
20 members pooled their cash
together. Each month, a different
member managed the fund. But
after Chanthy and Ratha took
their turn, the money was gone.
Chanthy declined to comment
yesterday. During her May 26
trial, however, she said she had
squandered the money on ill-
fated bets. BUTHREAKSMEY KONGKEA
Strike over
late wages
at factory
Sen David
WORKERS at a Kampot prov-
ince cement factory began
striking yesterday, protesting
late payment of their salaries
for May.
The 224 employees of Cam-
bodia Cement Chakrey Ting
Factory in Kampots Teuk
Chhou district said the com-
pany was supposed to pay
them at the end of May but that
workers have yet to receive the
money owed to them.
We are protesting, because
as of now our salary is more
than 10 days late, said one
employee, who declined to be
named. We will go back to
work if the company pays us.
But we are afraid the company
may close, and we need our sal-
ary, he said. The factory was
also late paying salaries last
month, he added.
Provincial labour department
director Ung Poheng yesterday
said he contacted the compa-
nys Phnom Penh branch to ask
about the late payments.
The company is working on
this issue and management
said they will pay the salaries,
so workers should stop worry-
ing about it, Poheng said.
After street sweep, boy happy
Alice Cuddy and Leang Phannara
T
HIRTEEN-year-old Hanh Vin
was scavenging for cans near
the Olympic Stadium early on
Tuesday morning when police
arrived in a caged van to haul him away.
Dressed in a new school uniform, Vin, a
slight and shy child, yesterday recalled the
moment he knew he had been captured.
When I saw the police I wanted to
escape. But I just stopped and let them
catch me because I was worried if I ran
away they would find me, Vin said.
The police told me they wanted me to
go with them to an NGO, but I didnt want
to go; I thought they were lying to me.
Vins capture came a day after a direc-
tive signed by Phnom Penh Deputy Gov-
ernor Seng Ratanak was issued, ordering
12 district governors and the municipal
social affairs department to remove home-
less people from public areas.
Many of the homeless, beggars and street
sellers targeted by the initiative hid to
evade arrest.
Pour un Sourire dEnfant (PSE), one of
the partner NGOs charged with monitor-
ing and educating those rounded up, took
in 13 of the children swept up by the
authorities on Tuesday.
Yesterday afternoon, only Vin remained
at PSEs sprawling centre in Meanchey dis-
trict. The others were returned to their
families yesterday morning.
We just want to make sure that all kids
have a proper place to stay; we dont want
to see kids with no care, Ouk Sovan, PSEs
deputy program director, said.
Vin struggled to survive on the streets for
three years after his father died and his
mother abandoned him.
The only job I could do was scavenge.
Sometimes I would sleep in other peoples
apartments, he said.
When he arrived at PSE, Vin said he
wanted to go back to the streets. But after
one night in the centre, he said he is much
happier there.
I sleep better here and eat better here
so I am happy.
Vin, who attended school yesterday for
the first time in more than five years, said
he does not know what he wants to be
when he grows up. But with PSE offering
vocational training for aspiring mechanics,
chefs, waitresses, hoteliers and more, he is
not short of options.
Sovan said City Hall needs to improve
its method of rounding people up, but
stressed that the initiative was a work
in progress.
We need to find the best solution for eve-
ryone . . . I will try to discuss with [City Hall]
about finding a way to work together.
A beggar sits near the Royal Palace in Daun Penh district. Phnom Penh Municipality issued a
directive to remove homeless people from public areas earlier this week. HONG MENEA
National
6
POLICE
BLOTTER
Woman tops up only to
be shut down by thieves
ITS no secret that buying and
loading credit onto a phone is
a time-consuming process.
Its also distracting, as one
woman in Banteay
Meancheys Poipet district
was reminded of on Monday.
Police said the woman had
stopped to buy credit and was
standing with her iPhone 5
next to the vendor when two
suspects in their 20s rode by
and swiped it. Police eventu-
ally gave chase and made
arrests. They were both sent
to court. DEUM AMPIL

Next time, man will just
have dinner delivered
ALL he wanted was some
Chinese noodles. Instead, he
wound up with hospital food.
Police in Kampong Cham
town on Tuesday arrested
three men in their 30s
accused of pulling out a gun
in an attempt to persuade a
man heading out to dinner to
give up his motorbike. A fight
ensued but no shots were
fired. Local authorities man-
aged to track down and arrest
the trio. The victim was sent
to hospital to recover from his
wounds. DEUM AMPIL
Innocent chatting leads
to enraged chopping
JEALOUSY incited one man to
resort to the samurai sword in
Kratie town on Monday, police
said. At a wedding party, the
36-year-old suspect thought a
man was flirting with his girl-
friend and his emotions flared
up, according to police. The
angered lover waited until the
next morning to exact his
revenge by showing up at the
victims house and slashing at
him with a samurai sword.
Police sent the suspect to
court, while the victim told
police that his relationship
with the girlfriend was platon-
ic. KOH SANTEAPHEAP
Easy score not so easy
after all, suspect finds
A KAMPONG Cham town man
was almost out some serious
coin on Monday when he left
$500 in an unlocked car.
Police said the man had gone
home to take a nap and
parked his car in front of his
house. A 34-year-old allegedly
noticed that the cars defences
were down and reached in,
taking the money. The home-
owner noticed and yelled for
help, and nearby residents
were all too eager to offer
some. They chased the sus-
pect down and detaining him
until police arrived and sent
him to court. KAMPUCHEA THMEY
Suspect just a stones
throw from jailhouse
STICKS and stones may
break your bones and they
can also get you arrested.
Police said a 37-year-old
man in Kratie town was so
mad at his neighbour for
parking his car on the side-
walk near his house that he
pelted it with a rock on Tues-
day. Authorities allegedly saw
the aggrieved homeowner
hurling the projectile at the
car, arrested him and sent
him to court. DEUM AMPIL
Translated by Sen David
EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA
Immigration Visa (IV) Assistant
TheU.S. Embassy in PhnomPenh is seeking an individual for
theImmigration Visa (IV) Assistant position for theConsular
Affairs Ofce.
The incumbent serves in the Immigration Visa (IV) Unit
under the Consular Ofcer in charge of the team and the
Visa Supervisor, performing the full range of IV services for
Cambodian IV cases. The jobholder also serves on a rotational
basis with the Non-Immigrant Visa (NIV) Unit for the full
range of NIV case processing. S/hereceives visa applications
and supporting documents, prescreens cases, advises
ofcers on Cambodia cultural and social issues, processes
applications, deals with correspondence and explains the visa
process to members of the public and provides interpretation
for American ofcers when needed.
Salary: Theannual salary rangefor this position is
USD9,216 14,286.
Required Qualications
Completion of High School is required. 1.
Two years of progressively responsible experience 2.
involving the application of complex regulatory
material, along with experience in public contact is
required.
Level IV (Fluent) Speaking/Reading/Writing English 3.
and Khmer are required. Language prociency will
betested.
Must have general ofce management practices and 4.
basic computer skills.
Ability to deal with customers with patience and tact 5.
and to work under pressure.
Application Procedure
The application deadline is June26, 2014. Interested candidates
must submit applications by email to RecruitmentPHP@state.
gov using the Universal Application for Employment as a
Locally Employed Staff or Family Member (DS-174) form.
The application form and complete details on this position
can be found at http://cambodia.usembassy.gov/employment_
opportunities.html.
Note: All Ordinarily Resident (OR) applicants must have
the required work and/or residency permits to be eligible for
consideration.
Punters ready for kick-off
gambling of all kinds, in
all places throughout the
whole Kingdom of Cambodia
shall be strictly prohibited,
except those permitted by the
Royal government.
Casinos are exceptions to the
gambling law, and until the
government ordered its closure
several years ago, betting firm
Cambo Six operated with a gov-
ernment licence.
Despite the laws strong
wording, other kinds of gam-
bling have also been popular.
After recent similar crack-
downs on football and online
betting, 67 people were arrest-
ed last year in a coordinated
bust across three locations for
their involvement in an illegal
virtual football gambling ring.
Choun Narin, deputy chief
of the Phnom Penh Municipal
Police, said that gambling
will not be tolerated outside
of casinos.
If they are betting for money
outside of the casinos this is
illegal and our police will crack
down, he said yesterday.
City Hall spokesman Long
Dimanche agreed.
We told district authorities
to inform the owners of inter-
net cafes not to allow their cus-
tomers to lay wagers in their
shops. If [they] do not respect
the order, we will close their
business, he added.
But at an internet cafe in
Phnom Penh this week, foot-
ball fans told the Post they were
preparing to place their bets.
Twenty-two-year-old Ly said
he paid $1 to sign up to an
online bookmaker last week
but is waiting until after the
first 16 matches before betting
on the winner.
I will bet only $1, but if I win
I will get 2 million riel [about
$500], he said, perhaps misun-
derstanding the odds. At the
moment I think Brazil and Ger-
many have the strongest chance
to reach the final, he added.
While Ly is planning to bet
only small amounts of money,
he said he fears that others will
steal to support their gambling
during the tournament.
Im worried about robberies
increasing during the World
Cup from losers who need to get
money to pay off their debts.
Thirty-three-year-old Sokha,
who has been gambling for
more than five years, is versed
in placing big bets that he
cant afford.
I lost my car because of
gambling, but I lied to my par-
ents that it was stolen, he said.
I know that no one gets rich by
gambling, but I like to do it.
Since an outlet of an interna-
tional sport betting company
opened up in NagaWorld
Phnom Penhs only licensed
casino Sokha has been a reg-
ular customer.
Almost every day, I come
here [NagaWorld] to gamble.
[Each time] I bet between $5
and $10 on football, he said.
While Sokha said he was
unsure who he would place his
money on for the World Cup,
fellow gambler Virak said he
had high hopes for Brazil.
I think Brazil will win the
World Cup and [one of their
players will win] the Golden
Boot, he said, referring to the
honour awarded to the tourna-
ments top goal scorer.
A member of staff at Naga-
World, who asked to be kept
anonymous, said no bets had
been placed on the World Cup
so far.
But the packed room of foot-
ball fans suggested there would
be no shortage of wagers.
Outside of big money gam-
bling, Narin, the deputy police
chief, said that there was no
problem gambling for fun,
adding that he will be betting
with cups of coffee during
the tournament.
Virath, a 26-year-old Man-
chester United fan, said he is
looking forward to spending
time with friends during the
World Cup. But he limits his
wagers now to beer and food.
After working a full day, the
World Cup is good for reducing
stress with friends.
World Cup advertising stands in front of a sports bar in Phnom Penhs
Daun Penh district on Monday. HONG MENEA
Spreading the message
Boeung Kak community members stand outside Phnom Penh City Hall yesterday, asking ofcials when the
municipality will take up their grievances. About 40 representatives of families who already accepted pay-
ment packages for their land years ago now say the money they received is inadequate. A City Hall ofcial
told the group that the municipality must rst handle complaints lodged by those with land disputes in the
capitals Borei Keila area before getting to the already compensated Boeung Kak families. HENG CHIVOAN
Harsh verdict
in drugs case
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

A
NIGERIAN woman
was found guilty
yesterday of inter-
national drug traf-
cking and handed a 25-year
prison sentence by Phnom
Penh Municipal Court.
Collin Seniola Bosede, 36,
was ying from Nigeria to
Cambodia with a stop in Qa-
tar last August when airport
police found 1.5 kilograms of
methamphetamine in her bag,
according to court ofcials.
The court has sentenced
her to 25 years and ned her
40 million riel [$10,000], Suos
Sam Ath, Phnom Penh Munic-
ipal Court judge, said, adding
that Bosede was convicted of
international drug trafcking
and had the right to appeal.
Bosede was arrested at
Phnom Penh International
Airport after landing on Au-
gust 4, police said.
She was arrested while po-
lice checked her luggage and
found a big package of drugs
hidden inside clothes, along
with a laptop and a number
of cassettes players, said Sok
Chour, deputy director of the
Anti-Drug Police Department
in the Ministry of Interior.
According to Bosedes con-
fession, the drugs were brought
from Qatar with the intent to
sell them here, Chour said.
During her trial on May 26,
Bosede said the luggage be-
longed to a Canadian man
named Amad. She met him
at Qatar International Airport
while transferring between
ights and he asked that she
bring luggage to an unnamed
man living in Phnom Penh.
As the court read the verdict
yesterday, she began crying.
It was very unjust. I was
not the drug trafcker. Please
release me. I want to go back
home, Bosede said.
She added that when she
was given the luggage from
Amad, she checked it, but did
not nd any drugs, only the
laptop and cassette players.
Bosede is not the only for-
eign national recently to re-
ceive a big sentence for drug
trafcking. At the end of last
month, a French woman,
an Australian woman and
a Nigerian man were sen-
tenced to between 23 and 27
years each.
Eddie Morton

U
S CREDIT ratings
agency Standard &
Poors has ranked
Cambodias econ-
omy and creditworthiness as
the most vulnerable to the ef-
fects of climate change.
Of 116 nations measured by
S&P as part of a vulnerability
index published last month
with a number 1 ranking being
the least vulnerable Cambo-
dia scored the lowest, coming
in at 116th.
The index took into account
the share of Cambodias pop-
ulation living in areas below
ve metres of altitude, the
percentage that agriculture
contributes to GDP and the
results of a similar study con-
ducted by Notre Dame Uni-
versity in 2012.
Cambodias dependence on
agriculture-related products
as a driver for 35 per cent of
its GDP growth in 2012, the
more than 10 per cent of the
country living at or below ve
metres of altitude and a poor
ranking in the Notre Dame
University study all contrib-
uted to the countrys highly
vulnerable status.
[Cambodia has] the highest
average rank number of any of
the rated sovereigns included.
Therefore, we assign Cambo-
dia the highest possible over-
all rank of 116, being the most
vulnerable to climate change,
the report states.
Climate change, and specif-
ically global warming, is going
to be the second global mega-
trend affecting sovereign
credit risk, it says, cautioning
that the worlds poorest na-
tions economies are set to be
disproportionately affected by
global warming.
Food insecurity, reduced
agricultural crop yields and
restricted labour forces trig-
gered by changing rainfall
conditions, disaster recovery
efforts placing increased pres-
sure on government budgets,
and civilian deaths are just
some of the economic conse-
quences Cambodia faces as
global warming worsens, the
S&P report warns.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and
Senegal followed Cambodia as
the economies most at risk of
climate change, while Luxem-
burg, Switzerland and Austria
all high-altitude European
nations were ranked as the
least vulnerable.
S&P afrmed Cambodias
credit rating of B in 2013,
labelling the country as hav-
ing a strong and stable long-
term and short-term outlook.
The ratings agency did not
cite climate change risks as a
detrimental factor in its latest
credit rating.
Sok Puthyvuth, president of
the Cambodia Rice Federa-
tion, said that the economic
impact of climate change was
a global issue and that Cambo-
dias agriculture sector should
look offshore for solutions to
the threat.
I believe the solution to
this will rest in technologies
which allow farmers to re-
spond quicker to changes in
the weather, he said, citing
examples from Israel where
farmers are able to grow
their crops even in harsh
desert environments.
Srey Chanthy, an indepen-
dent economist, said while
the threat is not immediate,
the Cambodian government
needs to start investing in
disaster-mitigation measures
sooner rather than later.
I am concerned for ve
years down the track, Chanthy
said. The government needs
to invest in disaster-resilient
infrastructure such as water
irrigation and drought resis-
tant varieties, while somehow
also maintaining the existing
natural resources.
He added that Cambodias
economy would nd it dif-
cult to recover from a natu-
ral disaster much worse than
the oods of 2011, which
damaged 10 per cent of the
countrys total agricultural
crops and $200 million worth
of infrastructure.
Cambodia in 2011 had to
have nancial intervention
from donors such as the Asian
Development Bank and the
World Bank to recover from
the oods, he said.
If much worse than that
occurred it would be very
difcult for the economy
to recuperate.
7 THE PHNOM PENH POST JUNE 12, 2014
Business
USD / JPY
102.25
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1.2508
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6.228
USD / HKD
7.7522
USD / THB
32.46
AUD / USD
0.939
NZD / USD
0.855
EUR / USD
1.353
GBP / USD
1.6753
Indicative Exchange Rates as of 11/6/2014. Please contact ANZ Royal Global Markets on 023 999 910 for real time rates.
USD / KHR
4,050
Thais told to go halal for taste of wealthy Gulf visitors
Wichit Chantanusornsiri
THAILAND has high potential to
offer halal tourism services to attract
wealthy travellers from Muslim coun-
tries, given its rich choice of tourist
destinations and quality food
resources, says Islamic Bank of Thai-
land director Adisak Asmimana.
Halal not only entails dietary mat-
ters but extends to consumer prod-
ucts and living under sharia, or
Islamic law.
Should Thailand upgrade its tour-
ism facilities to meet halal standards,
it could attract revenue streams from
wealthy Muslim travellers, he said.
Thailand still does not have any
five-star halal-friendly hotels to serve
well-heeled visitors from the Gulf
states. Tourism-related agencies
should consider the halal market as
one of their tourism promotion poli-
cies, with a focus on five-star Muslim-
friendly hotels in the countrys major
tourist spots, Adisak said.
Halal hotels or resorts are free of
alcohol, karaoke and nightclubs and
have separate swimming pools for
women and men. Such hotels also
offer only halal food.
Halal hotels can also reap benefit
from Thailand as a popular medical
hub for affluent Muslims as patients
usually arrive with 10-20 family
members, Adisak said, adding that
they seek treatment at Thai hospitals
due to their high-quality service.
Adisak urged the government to
put halal business promotion on the
agenda of the national development
plan and provide training to com-
mercial counsellors, especially those
with postings in the Gulf countries,
to gain insight into the halal business.
It should also set up a halal commit-
tee to be chaired by the prime min-
ister, he said.
Thai operators should cash in on
the Islamic Bank of Thailand expand-
ing into Muslim countries, which
have a combined population of more
than two billion people. The halal
market is valued at hundreds of bil-
lions of dollars, of which Thailand has
captured less than a 0.5 per cent mar-
ket share.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Malaysia
is capitalising on the market with its
plan to set up a halal food manufac-
turing centre in Thailand to prepare
for the advent of the ASEAN Eco-
nomic Community at the end of 2015
as Thailand has a variety of raw mate-
rial resources.
Brunei, like Malaysia, imports raw
materials from other countries to
produce halal foods for export, while
Myanmar has already established a
halal office.
Ittirit Kinglake, the Tourism Coun-
cil of Thailands vice president
for regional strategy, said that Thai-
land can generate massive income
even if it lured only 0.5 per cent of
Muslims, from the Middle East in
particular, to visit the country.
Around 500,000 tourists from the
Gulf countries visit Thailand each
year with an annual growth of 40 per
cent in recent years. Thailand is the
worlds top eighth destination for
Muslim tourists, with Malaysia and
Turkey taking the top spots.
Some hotels in Thailand have start-
ed to set up a halal zone for Muslim
tourists and in future are likely to
offer separate spas and swimming
pools for men and women to comply
with Islamic beliefs, Ittiri said t.
Following the integrated market of
all 10 ASEAN nations, Thailand could
draw more Muslim travellers, espe-
cially those from Indonesia and
Malaysia, he said. BANGKOK POST
Salt makers
shake out a
big surplus
Hor Kimsay
CAMBODIAs salt production
rose sharply at the end of this
years harvest season thanks to
more favourable weather con-
ditions enhancing yields.
Salt production in Kampot
and Kep provinces home to
Cambodias salt fields reached
147,000 tonnes this year, near-
ly double the 80,000 tonnes
recorded last year, according to
data from the Salt Producer
Community of Kampot & Kep.
Ly Seng, president of Salt Pro-
ducer Community, told the
Post yesterday that while last
years harvest season finished
in April, this years lasted until
June due to less rainfall.
Cambodias total salt con-
sumption is estimated at about
90,000 tonnes annually.
Seng said that the 50,000
tonne surplus that is forecast
would be held over for next
years domestic supply.
We stock the surplus salt in
storage, and it is reserved to
release next year in case the pro-
duction is lower, he said, add-
ing that Cambodia does not
export salt as neighbouring
countries produce enough to
meet their own demand.
Salt producers in Kampot
and Kep sell salt at an average
of 240,000 riel ($60) per tonne.
Up to 700 farmers cultivate
about 4,500 hectares of salt
production land within the
two provinces.
Chhay Sochanny, a salt trad-
er who sells in bulk to Phnom
Penh markets, said that while
the production increase was
promising, difficulties re-
mained in offloading excess
stock, particularly as higher-
quality product is being sold at
lower prices by Thailand and
Vietnam producers.
Our salt cannot export, she
said. The price of our salt is
higher than others.
A boy plays in what remains of a pond in Kandal province last year. Cambodias economy and creditworthiness are the most vulnerable in the
world to climate change, according to Standard & Poors. HENG CHIVOAN
Economy at risk to warming
Business
8
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
TheUSAIDsControl andPreventionof Malaria(CAP-Malaria) project aimsto strengthencountry andregional level efforts
for malariaandartemisinin-resistant malaria(ARM) containment inCambodia, Thailand, andBurma. Theobjectives of
theproject areto: 1) developandscale-upcost-effectivevector control interventionsto prevent thetransmissionof malaria;
2) improvethequality andeffectiveness of diagnosis andtreatment of malariaat thecommunity andhealthfacility; 3)
reducemanagement bottlenecksof National MalariaControl Programs; and4) support theestablishment andmaintenance
of strategic informationfor malariacontrol includingstrengtheningsurveillances andinterventions at community level.
TheCAP-Malariaproject is implementedby University ResearchCo., LLC (URC) andits partners, whichwork closely
withimplementingpartnersfromother fundingsources.
TheCAP-Malariaisseekingpotential candidatesfor apositionof IT Administrator to bebasedinPhnomPenh.
Key Responsibilities:
Training 1.
Ensurethat all usersareproperly trainedintheuse
of thecomponentsto whichthey aregrantedaccess;
Induct new staff onIT systemsinCAP-Malaria
ofce in Phnom Penh and at elds;
Lead, trainandsupport thework of other staff
engagedinsimilar functions;
Developandconduct varioustrainingand
instructionfor systemusersonoperatingsystems,
andother applications; assist usersinmaximizing
useof networksandcomputingsystems.
IT Equipment Management and Procurement 2.
ManagetheIT equipment andlicensesoftwarein
thewholeorganization;
Evaluateand/or recommendpurchasesof
computers, network hardware, peripheral
equipment, software and develop specication;
Check IT equipment to ensurethat suppliersprovide
the right equipment which meet the specication
andensurethat softwareisproperly licensedand
liaisewithexternal support company;
System Administration 3.
Overseenetwork andserver (if appropriate);
Manage& troubleshoot networks, internet
connectivity throughout theorganization;
Provide IT support to computer users within the ofce;
Investigateuser problems, identify their source,
determinepossiblesolutions, test and implement
solutions;
Troubleshoot networks, systems, andapplications
to identify andcorrect malfunctionsandother
operational difculties;
Anticipatecommunicationandnetworking
problemsandimplement preventivemeasures;
Install, congure, and maintain personal computers,
le servers, network cabling, and other related
equipment, devices, andsystems; addsor upgrades
hardware and software and congures router,
wirelessaccesspoint, disk drives, printers, and
relatedequipment.
Website management: 4.
EnsurethatCAP-Malariawebsite( www.capmalaria.org)
workssmoothly;
Administer thewholeCAP-Malariawebsiteand
intranet suchasall contents, user accounts, user
accesspermission;
Updatewebsitecontentsfor bothinEnglishand
Khmer languages;
Manageall documentsandcontentsinCAP-Malaria
intranet andinstruct staff onusingintranet;
Work closely withdatabaseprogrammer, programstaff
tomodify any partof CAP-Malariawebsiteasneeded.
Qualications and Requirements:
Master degreeinComputer Scienceor equivalent combinationof education, trainingandexperience;
Over 5yearsof experienceworkinginIT support, network troubleshooting, anddatabasedevelopment;
Excellent troubleshooting and problemsolving skills;
Prociency in written and spoken English;
Demonstratewillingness to work with others in an interactiveteamsetting;
Good interpersonal, organizational and teambuilding skills.
Thedeadlineis Thursday 19, June 2014 by 5:00PM. Interested candidates should send their application
to this e-mail address:cap-malaria.info@urc-chs.com or submit ahard copy to Ms. Pich Soksreyleap at
2
nd
oor, Building #10, Street 214, Sangkat Chey Chumneas, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Only short listed applicants will be contacted for interviews. Qualied female candidates are encouraged to apply.
UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CO., LLC
IPO warm-up
Alibaba to
open retail
sites for US

C
HINAS e-commerce giant
Alibaba has launched an
American shopping website
as it continues a deal binge before
a widely anticipated US listing.
The online shopping site, called
11 Main, opened on a beta, or
test, basis for consumers and
is invitation-only in terms of the
merchants it features, the site
said in a statement.
Visitors are met with a mes-
sage reading Were Opening
Soon, and which adds: Our shop
owners are currently unpacking
and getting settled.
The site carefully selects mer-
chants, making some of the best
and most differentiated boutiques
available to shoppers, 11 Main
said in a press release.
The marketplace, which hosts
more than 1,000 merchants
selling products ranging from
clothing and interior goods to
arts and crafts, will help Alibaba
compete with Amazon and eBay,
Dow Jones reported.
The company plans to add
other sales categories, charge as
little as half the commission of
other venues at 3.5 percent, and
screen merchants for the quality
of their goods and service, Dow
Jones added. AFP
Over 2.2M Toyotas recalled
T
OYOTA yesterday re-
called 2.27 million ve-
hicles globally over a
defect that could see
airbags fail to deploy in a crash
and also posed a re risk, deal-
ing another blow to the Japa-
nese giants safety record.
The worlds biggest auto-
maker said the latest call back
involved 20 models, including
its Corolla sedan, Yaris sub-
compact and Noah minivan,
and covered about 1.62 mil-
lion cars overseas and 650,000
in Japan.
Some of the affected over-
seas cars were already includ-
ed in a recall last year, but had
not had their airbag inator
replaced, Toyota said.
The involved vehicles were
equipped with front passenger
airbag inators which could
have been assembled with im-
properly manufactured prop-
ellant wafers, it said in a state-
ment. [That] could cause the
inator to rupture and the
front passenger airbag to de-
ploy abnormally in the event
of a crash.
A spokesman said Toyota
had received a complaint from
a Japanese customer who said
his passenger seat was burned
from the defect. No serious
injuries or accidents had been
reported, he added.
In April, Toyota recalled
6.39 million vehicles globally
over a string of problems, and
another 520,000 last month,
mostly in North America, over
several issues including cable
corrosion that could lead un-
used spare tyres to fall off.
In February, it recalled 1.9
million units of its signature
Prius hybrid cars, after recall-
ing millions of other models in
recent years over a possible re
risk and other safety issues.
Despite logging record sales
and bumper prots, Toyota
has been ghting to save its
reputation as US rival GM
scrambles to contain a deadly
recall scandal. Nissan and
Honda have also issued major
recalls in recent years.
In March, Toyota agreed to
pay $1.2 billion to settle US
criminal charges that it lied
to regulators and the public
as it tried to cover up deadly
accelerator defects, which
caused vehicles to speed out
of control and fail to respond
to the brake. Toyota eventually
recalled 12 million vehicles
worldwide in 2009 and 2010.
In the United States, General
Motors has been sideswiped
by accusations that it hid a de-
cade-long ignition and airbag
problem linked to 13 deaths.
On Tuesday, GM chief ex-
ecutive Mary Barra said the
company has not yet gured
out how much its deadly,
faulty car ignitions will cost
the Chevrolet and Cadillac
maker. AFP
A car transporter picks up Toyota vehicles from a dealership in Los Angeles. AFP
Nintendo hopes new titles,
toy platform will save Wii U
NINTENDO Co president
Satoru Iwata has delivered his
clearest message yet to gamers
about the companys future:
Dont count the Wii U out yet.
Nintendo, threatened with
becoming an also-ran in the
market for home consoles,
announced a half-dozen new
titles for the Wii U in an online
presentation for the annual
Electronic Entertainment Expo
in Los Angeles. They include a
multiplayer shooter game
called Splatoon and Super
Smash Bros. It also unveiled a
toy platform for the console
called Amiibo, similar to Activ-
ision Blizzard Incs Skylanders.
The maker of Super Mario
and Zelda has struggled to
revive sales of the Wii U after
missteps including delays in
getting key titles to stores. The
Mario Kart 8 racing title sold
more than 1.2 million units glo-
bally during the last weekend
of May, and Nintendo is count-
ing on holiday releases to build
momentum for a console many
analysts expected the company
to write off.
To improve sales of the Wii
U, Nintendo needs to produce
hit titles, said Hideki Yasuda at
Tokyo-based Ace Research
Institute. Its not clear whether
new game titles developed by
Nintendo will sell well or not.
The companys presentation
video made humorous jabs at
critical gamers mixed in with
ninja-like battles between Iwa-
ta and Nintendo America pres-
ident Reggie Fils-Aime. Nin-
tendo said Super Smash Bros
will be in HD on the Wii U for
the first time, and make its
debut on the 3DS, both in time
for the holiday season.
Nintendo is all about inven-
tion and reinvention and bring-
ing Nintendo magic to con-
sumers, Fils-Aime said.
Nintendo, based in Kyoto, has
no plans to end production of
the Wii or cut prices, he said.
The company also is jumping
into the multibillion-dollar
collectible-toy category with
Amiibo, figures that users place
on the Wii Us GamePad tablet
to enter a Nintendo character
into a game. There will be about
10 Amiibos for purchase with
the Super Smash Bros game, and
more by the end of the year, Fils-
Aime said. He declined to say
what they will cost.
Nintendo previously called
the Amiibos the Nintendo Figu-
rine Platform for the Wii U.
Similar to Activisions Skylanders
and Walt Disney Cos Infinity,
the system combines video
games with collectible figures.
Unlike the others, Nintendos
real-world characters will work
across multiple games and dont
require a portal to enable wire-
less communication between
the game machine and toy.
Nintendo also showed Spla-
toon. The title, available next
year, lets two teams of four take
on roles as squids that can
morph into people, shooting
coloured ink to take over a bat-
tlefield in timed matches.
Iwata in January projected an
annual loss for the year ended
March and cut sales forecasts,
though hes said he wont aban-
don Nintendos focus on both
hardware and software. The
company yesterday didnt
address his earlier comments
about entering the health cat-
egory with new products.
Nintendo is trying to con-
vince retailers its consoles are
viable and a good alternative to
the similarly featured Xbox One
from Microsoft Corp and Play-
Station 4 from Sony Corp.
The Wii Us holiday sales
could be the deciding factor for
both retailers and third-party
game developers. BLOOMBERG A Nintendo Wii U is loaded with the new Mario Kart 8 game. BLOOMBERG
Junta axes THAI board
members free flights
THE military junta has stripped
Thai Airways International
(THAI) board members of their
annual free-flight allowance.
The decision was made at a
National Council for Peace and
Order cabinet meeting and
could set a precedent for board
members of other state-owned
agencies. Cabinet secretary-
general Ampon Kittiampon, who
is also a THAI board member,
said the flight allowance had
been scrapped to reduce costs
and improve the airlines
performance. Similar moves to
wind back board privileges are
also in the pipeline for other
state-owned agencies to reduce
the burden on state coffers, he
added. BANGKOKPOST
Rare victory for sacked
China factory workers
A CHINESE committee has
ruled against an employer who
fired 40 workers for going on
strike, a report said yesterday,
highlighting rising labour
activism in the worlds second-
largest economy. A factory in
the eastern province of Fujian
sacked 40 workers in March for
going on strike, the report said.
The Communist Party is wary
of an independent labour
movement, so only allows one
government-linked trade union,
which in the past has acted to
stop workers from striking. AFP
Markets
9
Business
National Silk Board
delayed as ministries
fail to coordinate
Chan Muyhong
FORMATION of the National Silk
Board (NSB) has been delayed
due to the lagging processes of
the inter-ministries involved in
creating the industry body,
according to the spokesman of
Ministry of Commerce.
The former minister of com-
merce, Cham Prasidh, said in
June last year that he was aim-
ing for the NSB to be ready
after Cambodias general elec-
tions in late July.
The NSBs mandate, under
the MoC will help tighten reg-
ulations in Cambodias silk
industry in order to boost
investor confidence and
increase silk exports.
But Ken Ratha, spokesman
for the MoC said yesterday
that coordinating relevant
ministries had delayed estab-
lishing the new body.
The discussions are taking
longer because it is not Minis-
try of Commerce alone who is
working on the NSB plan.
There are other relevant minis-
tries, so it takes time, he said.
Ratha added that the current
minister of commerce, Son
Chanthol, was trying to expe-
dite the process as silk is also
an important sector for Cam-
bodia economy.
Men Sinoeun, executive
director of Artisan Angkor
Cambodia said Cambodias
silk industry was in desperate
need of greater attention
before golden silk a silk vari-
ety unique to the Kingdom
died out.
Golden silk production has
decreased from 10 tonnes to
1.5 tonnes annually, Sinoeun
told the Post.
I am afraid that we will lose
our identity if the production
keeps decreasing. There is no
point to form the NSB if there
is no silk, he added.
Pheanuroth Sisowath, an
adviser to the planned NSB
said the industry body was
needed to help strengthen the
industry.
Like rice industry, NSB will
give investors confidence to
invest in silk industry, he
said.
When established, the NSB
aims to create a certification
process to boost the quality of
Cambodias silk as well as help
coordinate public-private
partnerships.
Developing world growth flat
T
HE World Bank has
lowered its 2014
growth forecasts for
the global economy
but said advanced economies
rebound from a rough start
would help offset stagnation
in developing countries.
Most of the pick-up in growth
this year will come from high-
income countries, particularly
the US and the 18-nation eu-
rozone, the World Bank said
in its twice-yearly Global Eco-
nomic Prospects report.
But a rough start to the year
bad weather in the US, nan-
cial market turmoil and the
Ukraine crisis dragged down
global growth for the year as a
whole, the bank said.
It marked down its 2014
forecast to a 2.8 per cent pace
from its January forecast of 3.2
per cent. The global economy
expanded 2.4 per cent growth
in 2013.
High-income countries will
see stronger growth this year
of 1.9 per cent from 1.3 per-
cent in the previous year, the
World Bank said. But devel-
oping countries can expect
mixed challenges from the
accelerating growth in the
rich countries.
Developing countries were
projected to grow 4.8 per cent
this year, substantially below
the 5.3 per cent estimate in
January. The outlook for de-
veloping countries is for at
growth in 2014. This marks
the third year in a row of sub-5
per cent growth and reects a
more challenging post-crisis
global economic environ-
ment, it said.
The World Banks latest
outlook marked a deteriora-
tion from the January report,
when it had raised its growth
forecasts, saying both rich
and developing countries ap-
peared to be nally turning
the corner after the global
nancial crisis.
Much of the slowdown this
year reected weakness in
China, the worlds second-
largest economy.
Sharp annualised contrac-
tions of between 8 and 12
per cent occurred in Ukraine,
Thailand and Morocco.
The weakness in develop-
ing countries reected a slew
of factors, including knock-on
effects from the severe winter
in the US; political tensions in
Thailand, Ukraine and Turkey;
labor unrest in South Africa;
and monetary policy tighten-
ing following nancial market
turmoil a year ago. AFP
A Thai worker glues handles to crocodile skin handbags at a leather factory in Bangkok. AFP
T
HE European Union
launched a probe yes-
terday to determine
whether the special
tax deals offered to Apple and
Starbucks by authorities in
Ireland, Luxembourg and the
Netherlands amount to illegal
state aid.
In the current context of
tight public budgets, it is par-
ticularly important that large
multinationals pay their fair
share of taxes, EU Competi-
tion Commissioner Joaquin
Almunia said.
Apple and Starbucks as
well as a number of other mul-
tinational companies includ-
ing Amazon and Google have
come under intense pressure
from politicians and cam-
paigners over their tax affairs.
The tax policies ruling the
nancial arm of Italian auto-
maker Fiat, based in Luxem-
bourg, are also included in
the probe.
The multinationals are ac-
cused of enjoying sweetheart
tax deals that allow them to
move billions in earnings from
higher-taxed countries to low-
er taxed ones.
Almunia said the investiga-
tion would focus on transfer
pricing payments, an ac-
counting technique where
units of a multinational pay
royalties to another unit of
their business.
The mechanism made
possible by carefully crafted
tax laws in Ireland, the Neth-
erlands and Luxembourg al-
low operations in higher-taxed
countries to post losses, with
prots moved elsewhere.
The EU strictly has no juris-
diction over national tax poli-
cies, a cherished prerogative of
member states, and must limit
its investigation to rules gov-
erning free competition.
Almunia said the arrange-
ments under scrutiny could
amount to illegal state aid that
discriminated against other
member states.
Under the EUs state aid
rules, national authorities
cannot take measures al-
lowing certain companies to
pay less tax than they should
if the tax rules of the mem-
ber state were applied in a
fair and non-discriminatory
way, he said.
California iPad maker Apple
has shifted billions in interna-
tional earnings through Ire-
land using such loopholes, but
the government said it had not
breached EU rules.
Ireland is condent that
there is no state aid rule breach
in this case and we will defend
all aspects vigorously, a gov-
ernment spokesman said.
Facing a global restorm,
Ireland last year moved to
close the loophole, but still
rmly defends its 12.5 per cent
corporate tax rate. AFP
Business
10
Customers cross a road as they exit a Starbucks in Amsterdam. The EU has launched a probe into special tax
deals offered to Apple and Starbucks. BLOOMBERG
EU probes Apple, Starbucks
SIEMENS AG is in talks with
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Ltd about a joint bid to buy Al-
stom SAs energy business and
counter a $17 billion offer by
General Electric Co.
Mitsubishi Heavy Indus-
tries and Siemens will decide
on whether to submit a joint
proposal to Alstoms board of
directors by June 16, the two
companies said in a statement
yesterday. The companies
didnt give further details.
One option being discussed
is for Mitsubishi Heavy to buy
Alstoms steam turbine and
grid business and Siemens
to get the gas turbine opera-
tions, people familiar with the
matter said, asking not to be
identied because the matter
is not public. Mitsubishis role
in any Siemens offer could po-
tentially boost the valuation
of the German companys bid
and resolve antitrust issues,
two of the people said.
Both Siemens and GE have
been trying to get the back-
ing of the French government,
which is seeking to extract
the best guarantees from any
bidder for jobs and for the
countrys energy indepen-
dence. BLOOMBERG
Mitsubishi,
Siemens in
Alstom bid
App-controlled
Now you can
get a drone
of your own

I
T MAY be a while before
drones start patrolling
American skies or deliver-
ing packages, but kids and
adults will be able to com-
mand their own personal
ying devices very soon.
The French electronics rm
Parrot has unveiled its Rolling
Spider and Jumping Sumo
mini-drones to go on sale in
the US market in August.
We wanted to create con-
nected robots for the gen-
erations of smartphones and
tablets, Parrot spokeswoman
Vanessa Loury said at a dem-
onstration in New York.
The mini-drones are con-
trolled by mobile apps loaded
on tablets and phones using
Apples iOS or Android.
Rolling Spider has four ro-
tors and can also be adapted
to move on two wheels to
roll on the ground or on a
wall. It features kid-friendly
piloting. Jumping Sumo is a
two-wheeled device which can
jump up to 80 centimetres. It
can spin, roll and take pictures
with a wide-angle camera.
The devices will sell for $100
and $160 in the US, and 99
and 159 in France. AFP
Markets
11
Business
Jordan Robertson

S
MART meters may be get-
ting too smart for our own
good. As businesses look
for new ways to gain insight
into consumers, utility meters that
wirelessly transmit energy-usage
data are increasingly drawing at-
tention because of what they can
reveal about our behaviour at home,
such as when and how often we use
certain appliances.
Last month, a unit of WPP, the
worlds biggest advertising agency,
announced it was teaming up with
London-based software compa-
ny Onzo to study ways to collect
smart-meter data on household en-
ergy use. Onzo CEO Joel Hagan told
Bloomberg News that the informa-
tion has the potential to open the
door of the home.
But unlocking the front door is just
the beginning. The next stop for big
data could be on the sofa next to us
as we watch TV.
Information owing through
smart meters can be mined and
subsequently determine users
viewing habits not just that people
are watching TV, but which pro-
grams theyre watching, down to
individual scenes at specic times,
according to a little-known study
by the University of Applied Sci-
ences in Steinfurt, Germany.
The research, which was published
in 2012, measured how much power
it takes to display certain programs
on a television screen. Looking at
seven movies and two television
shows on ve different brands of TV
sets, the researchers found that each
program had a unique power signa-
ture based on how much electric cur-
rent was needed to show the images
on the screen. Among the programs
used for the tests was Star Trek.
Once the programs signatures
were identied, the researchers
found they could then match that
information with data coming out
of a smart meter. That meant a pow-
er company or other entity could
mine this data to determine what a
household was watching.
The test was comprehensive
enough to show the technique is
broadly applicable and that there
is an urgent need for stronger pro-
tections for smart-meter data, the
researchers said.
As smart meters roll out around
the world, the new technology
has been met with anxiety and, at
times, protests over security and
privacy concerns.
Last month, a protester was in-
jured during an altercation with a
water-utility employee at a dem-
onstration in Ireland, and citizens
groups in Australia, the US and
Canada have mounted campaigns
against the installation of smart
meters in their homes.
By harvesting the smart-meter
data, companies can then identify
the brands of appliances people are
using and create detailed marketing
proles, such as which homes have
children and which have laborious
mealtime preparation routines,
said Ulrich Greveler, a researcher
on the TV project.
This is denitely interesting data
for advertising agencies but also a
huge invasion of consumer privacy,
Greveler wrote in an email.
Utilities, however, have touted the
potential of smart meters to lower
energy bills, reduce energy con-
sumption and prevent blackouts.
One utility uses data gleaned from
smart meters to alert customers in
Delaware and Maryland to spikes in
demand and offer discounts for im-
mediately reducing consumption.
Smart meters enable two-way
power and information ows be-
tween the utility and the consumer
and the data they provide improve
the efciency and reliability of the
electric system, said Lisa Wood,
executive director of the Institute
for Electric Innovation, part of The
Edison Foundation, an organisation
focused on the electric industry, in a
report on the subject.
This commercial-privacy tradeoff
isnt new. In exchange for getting to
use a search engine such as Google
for free, Web surfers pay by surren-
dering personal information that is
used to target ads. By using in-car
transponders to electronically pay
bridge tolls, motorists speed their
commute but submit to having
their routes tracked.
Smart meters are just the latest ex-
ample of the compromise consum-
ers may face. Even amid the tech-
nologys potential cost savings to us,
theres still no free lunch. Especially
if youre cooking it in that Internet-
connected microwave. BLOOMBERG
International commodities
Energy
Agriculture
Markets
800
875
950
1025
1100
500
550
600
650
700
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
18000
19750
21500
23250
25000
2000
2250
2500
2750
3000
14000
14500
15000
15500
16000
8000
8300
8600
8900
9200
Thailand Vietnam
Singapore Malaysia
Hong Kong China
Japan Taiwan
Thai Set 50 Index, Jun 10
FTSE Straits Times Index, Jun 10 FTSEBursaMalaysiaKLCI, Jun 10
Hang Seng Index, Jun 10 CSI 300 Index, Jun 10
Nikkei 225, Jun 10 Taiwan Taiex Index, Jun 10
Ho Chi Minh Stock Index, Jun 10
15,069.48
2,160.77 23,257.29
1,874.54 3,285.07
570.36 985.10
9,229.80
1600
1725
1850
1975
2100
5500
5875
6250
6625
7000
900
1050
1200
1350
1500
3500
3875
4250
4625
5000
20000
21500
23000
24500
26000
28000
28500
29000
29500
30000
4500
4875
5250
5625
6000
4500
4750
5000
5250
5500
South Korea Philippines
Laos Indonesia
India Pakistan
Australia New Zealand
KOSPI Index, Jun 10 PSEI - Philippine Se Idx, Jun 10
Laos Composite Index, Jun 10 Jakarta Composite Index, Jun 10
BSE Sensex 30 Index, Jun 10 Karachi 100 Index, Jun 10
S&P/ASX 200 Index, Jun 10 NZX 50 Index, Jun 10
5,453.99
29,821.87 25,458.39
4,953.79 1,281.60
6,809.18 2,014.67
5,179.15
Item Unit Base Average (%)
Gasoline R 5250 5450 3.81 %
Diesel R 5100 5200 1.96 %
Petroleum R 5500 5500 0.00 %
Gas Chi 86000 76000 -11.63 %
Charcoal Baht 1200 1300 8.33 %
Energy
Construction equipment
Rice 1 R/Kg 2800 2780 -0.71 %
Rice 2 R/Kg 2200 2280 3.64 %
Paddy R/Kg 1800 1840 2.22 %
Peanuts R/Kg 8000 8100 1.25 %
Maize 2 R/Kg 2000 2080 4.00 %
Cashew nut R/Kg 4000 4220 5.50 %
Pepper R/Kg 40000 24000 -40.00 %
Beef R/Kg 33000 33600 1.82 %
Pork R/Kg 17000 18200 7.06 %
Mud Fish R/Kg 12000 12400 3.33 %
Chicken R/Kg 18000 20800 15.56 %
Duck R/Kg 13000 13100 0.77 %
Steel 12 R/Kg 3000 3100 3.33 %
Cement R/Sac 19000 19500 2.63 %
Food -Cereals -Vegetables - Fruits
Cambodian commodities
(Base rate taken on January 1, 2012)
COMMODITY UNITS PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE TIME(ET)
Crude Oil (WTI) USD/bbl. 104.62 0.27 0.26% 3:47:12
Crude Oil (Brent) USD/bbl. 109.79 0.27 0.25% 3:47:22
NYMEX Natural Gas USD/MMBtu 4.54 0.01 0.31% 3:45:34
RBOBGasoline USd/gal. 298.72 1.27 0.43% 3:47:15
NYMEX Heating Oil USd/gal. 289.58 1.17 0.41% 3:47:42
ICEGasoil USD/MT 893.25 5.75 0.65% 3:47:15
COMMODITY UNITS PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE TIME(ET)
CBOT Rough Rice USD/cwt 14.04 0.01 0.04% 3:45:26
CME Lumber USD/tbf 296.6 -2.6 -0.87% 3:40:37
Smart meters get smarter
A Toshiba smart meter at Smart Grid Expo in Tokyo. Businesses are looking at ways
to mine the meters for information and habits about their owners. BLOOMBERG
I
N A spectacular blow
to the Shia-led govern-
ment, the militants of
the Islamic State of Iraq
and the Levant and their al-
lies on Tuesday seized Mosul
and surrounding Nineveh
province as well as a string of
other northern towns.
And yesterday ISIL de-
clared on Twitter that it was
in complete control of all
routes in and out of Nineveh,
and promised it would not
stop this series of blessed
invasions.
Members of the jihadist
group also seized the Turkish
consulate in Mosul and kid-
napped the head of the diplo-
matic mission along with 24
staff, police said.
Elsewhere, they executed 15
security personnel in Kirkuk
province and tried to take the
oil pipeline hub of Baiji, be-
fore withdrawing when troop
reinforcements arrived, of-
cials said.
The jihadists surprise ad-
vance poses signicant chal-
lenges to Baghdad, with a
risk consultancy saying they
would be bolstered by cash
from Mosuls banks, hard-
ware from military bases and
hundreds of men they freed
from prison.
It also sparked a massive ex-
odus of civilians, with families
piling into cars that ooded
security checkpoints outside
the northern city normally
home to two million people.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Ma-
liki has responded by asking
parliament to declare emer-
gency rule and announcing
citizens would be armed to
ght them, while the United
States warned ISIL threat-
ened the entire region.
Yesterday, gunmen in mili-
tary uniforms and all-black
clothing guarded govern-
ment buildings and banks
in Mosul, said witnesses
reached by telephone from
Bashiqa, a town to the east.
They called over loudspeak-
ers for government employ-
ees to go back to work.
The International Organi-
sation for Migration said its
sources in Mosul estimated
the violence leading up to the
jihadists takeover displaced
over 500,000 people in and
around the city.
The violence has resulted
in a high number of casual-
ties among civilians, the IOM
said, adding that ghting
restricted access to four hos-
pitals. Some mosques have
been converted to clinics to
treat casualties, it said
Witnesses reported dozens
of families still eeing, but
shopkeeper Abu Ahmed said:
I will remain in Mosul. This
is my city in any case, and the
city is calm now.
Bassam Mohammed, a 25-
year-old student, said he too
would stay: But I am afraid
about freedoms, and I am es-
pecially afraid that they will
impose new laws on us.
Known for its ruthless tac-
tics and suicide bombers,
ISIL is arguably the most ca-
pable force ghting President
Bashar al-Assad inside Syria
as well as the most powerful
militant group in Iraq.
The takeover of Mosul
prompted the United States
to voice deep concern about
the extremely serious situa-
tion and warn that ISIL poses
a threat to the entire region.
ISIL is led by the shadowy
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and
backed by thousands of Isla-
mist ghters in Syria and Iraq,
many of them Westerners, and
it appears to be surpassing
al-Qaeda as the worlds most
dangerous jihadist group.
Militants also took control
of the Iraqi city of Tikrit and
freed hundreds of prisoners
yesterday, police said, the sec-
ond provincial capital to fall
in two days. All of Tikrit is in
the hands of the militants,
a police colonel said of the
Salaheddin provincial capital,
which lies roughly half way
between Baghdad and Mosul.
Iraqi security forces also
battled militants at a north-
ern entrance to the city of Sa-
marra yesterday, police and
witnesses said, as jihadists
pushed south towards Bagh-
dad in a lightning offensive.
The city is home to a revered
Shia shrine that was bombed
in 2006, sparking a sectarian
conict between Iraqs Shia
majority and Sunni Arab mi-
nority that left tens of thou-
sands dead.
The city lies just 110 ki-
lometres (70 miles) north
of the Iraqi capital on the
main highway from second
city Mosul where jihadists
launched their offensive late
on Monday. AFP
World
GOP shock
as Cantor
loses US
House seat
IN A stunning defeat, number-
two House Republican Eric
Cantor was ousted on Tuesday
by a more conservative pri-
mary challenger who delivered
a body blow to the Republican
establishment.
Majority Leader Cantor, a
powerful party insider who
was widely seen as a future
speaker of the House, lost his
Richmond, Virginia seat to Tea
Party-backed insurgent David
Brat, who had been thought
such a longshot he barely
received media airtime.
Im running 100 per cent on
just mainstream Republican
issues. The Republicans need
to do a better job of following
these, and then well get the
country out of the ditch, Brat
said on Fox TV.
Brat was outspent on the
campaign by Cantor by more
than 25 to one. Yet the veteran
Cantor became widely seen in
his district as focusing on
national Republican position-
ing. Failing to grasp the scope
of the threat, he ignored his
own re-election primary race
until it was too late.
The people are ready for
some major changes in this
country, Brat told Fox. I
attribute it to God, he said.
Im a believer and so Im hum-
bled God gave us this win. Just
an unbelievable miracle.
His defeat marked a repudia-
tion of establishment politics
and plunged his own partys
leadership into a state of flux in
the midst of the campaign sea-
son for Novembers midterm
congressional elections.
Cantor, the only Jewish
Republican in Congress, con-
ceded on Tuesday evening,
saying the loss was disap-
pointing. But I believe in this
country. I believe theres
opportunity around the next
corner for all of us, he told
supporters.
We want to create a Virgin-
ia and an America that works
for everybody. So Ill look for-
ward to continuing to fight for
the things that we believe in.
With all 243 precincts report-
ing, Brat, an economics profes-
sor at a Virginia college, beat
Cantor 55.5 per cent to 44.5 per
cent. It now throws the once-
safe House seat up in the air for
the November election.
This is an earthquake,
Minnesota ex-congressman
Vin Weber, a Cantor friend,
told the Washington Post. No
one thought hed lose.
Larry Sabato, who heads the
Center for Politics at the
University of Virginia, called
Cantors loss one of the most
stunning upsets in modern
American political history,
according to the Richmond
Times Dispatch.
This is the base rebelling
against the GOP leadership in
Washington, he added. AFP
Half a million on move in Iraq
Cambodian slaves put prawns in Wests shops
worlds largest prawn farmer, the Thai-
land-based Charoen Pokphand (CP)
Foods, buys fishmeal, which it feeds to
its farmed prawns, from some suppli-
ers that own, operate or buy from fish-
ing boats manned with slaves.
Men who have managed to escape
from boats supplying CP Foods and
other companies like it told the Guard-
ian of horrific conditions, including
20-hour shifts, regular beatings, torture
and execution-style killings. Some
were at sea for years; some were regu-
larly offered methamphetamines to
keep them going. Some had seen fellow
slaves murdered in front of them.
Another trafficking victim said he
had seen as many as 20 fellow slaves
killed in front of him, one of whom was
tied, limb by limb, to the bows of four
boats and pulled apart at sea.
CP Foods with an annual turnover
of $33 billion that brands itself as the
kitchen of the world sells its own-
brand prawn feed to other farms, and
supplies international supermarkets,
as well as food manufacturers and food
retailers, with frozen or cooked prawns
and ready-made meals.
It also sells raw prawn materials for
food distributors. In addition to Wal-
mart, Carrefour, Costco and Tesco, the
Guardian has identified Aldi, Morri-
sons, the Co-operative and Iceland as
customers of CP Foods. They all sell
frozen or cooked prawns, or ready
meals such as prawn stir fry, supplied
by CP Foods and its subsidiaries. CP
Foods admits that slave labour is part
of its supply chain.
Were not here to defend what is going
on, said Bob Miller, CP Foods UK man-
aging director. We know theres issues
with regard to the [raw] material that
comes in [to port], but to what extent
that is, we just dont have visibility.
The supply chain works in this way:
Slave ships plying international waters
off Thailand scoop up huge quantities
of trash fish, infant or inedible fish.
The Guardian traced this fish on land-
ing to factories where it is ground down
into fishmeal for onward sale to CP
Foods. The company uses this fishmeal
to feed its farmed prawns, which it then
ships to international customers.
The alarm over slavery in the Thai
fishing industry has been sounded
before by non-governmental organisa-
tions and in UN reports.
But now, for the first time, the
Guardian has established how the
pieces of the long, complex supply
chains connect slavery to leading pro-
ducers and retailers.
If you buy prawns or shrimp from
Thailand, you will be buying the pro-
duce of slave labour, said Aidan
McQuade, director of Anti-Slavery
International.
Thailand enjoys a prime position as
the worlds largest prawn exporter in a
vast seafood-export industry estimated
to be worth some $7.3 billion. Through
multinationals such as CP Foods, Thai-
land ships out roughly 500,000 tonnes
of prawns every year nearly 10 per cent
of which is farmed by CP Foods alone.
Although slavery is illegal in every
country in the world, including Thai-
land, some 21 million men, women and
children are enslaved globally, accord-
ing to the International Labour Organ-
ization. These people may have been
sold like property, forced to work under
mental or physical threat, or find them-
selves controlled by their employers.
Thailand is considered a major
source, transit and destination country
for slavery, and nearly half a million
people are believed to be currently
enslaved within Thailands borders. The
Guardians findings come at a crucial
moment. After being warned for four
consecutive years that it was not doing
enough to tackle slavery, Thailand risks
being given the lowest ranking on the
US state departments human traffick-
ing index, which grades 188 nations
according to how well they combat and
prevent human trafficking.
Relegation to tier 3 would put Thai-
land, which is grappling with the after-
math of a coup, on a par with North
Korea and Iran, and could result in a
downgrade of Thailands trading status
with the US.
Thailand is committed to combatting
human trafficking, said the Thai ambas-
sador to the US, Vijavat Isarabhakdi. We
know a lot more needs to be done but
we also have made very significant
progress to address the problem.
Human rights activists believe that
Thailands seafood-export industry
would probably collapse without slav-
ery. They say, there is little incentive for
the Thai government to act and have
called for consumers and international
retailers to demand action.
Global brands and retailers can do
so much good without bringing too
much risk upon themselves by simply
enforcing their supplier standards,
which typically prohibit forced labour
and child labour, said Lisa Rende Tay-
lor of Anti-Slavery International. And
if local businesses realise that non-
compliance results in loss of business,
it has the potential to bring about huge
positive change in the lives of migrant
workers and trafficking victims.
The Guardian asked the supermar-
kets to comment on their finding of
slavery in their supply chains.
All said they condemned slavery and
human trafficking for labour. They all
also pointed to systems of auditing they
have in place to check labour condi-
tions. Several retailers have joined a new
initiative called Project Issara (Project
Freedom) to discuss how they should
respond and several attended a meeting
in with the major producers in Bangkok
at the end of last month at which slavery
was discussed. THE GUARDIAN
An Iraqi Kurdish security guard frisks a man as families eeing violence in Iraqs northern Nineveh province
wait at a Kurdish checkpoint in the autonomous Kurdistan region on Tuesday. AFP
Empty vessel?
Mystic held
for sexual

harassment
A
FORTUNE teller was
arrested by Chon Buri
police on Tuesday for
allegedly sexually harassing his
female clients while perfor-
ming rituals to improve their
fortune, police said.
The suspect was named
as Kiattichai Cha-em, alias
Professor Phet the disciple of
Luang Por Nen, aged 25.
One of the suspects cus-
tomers, Ploi, a 27-year-old
woman whose real name was
withheld, told investigators the
fortune teller chanted spells
and rubbed oil all over her body
during the 30-minute ritual.
Just think that your boy-
friend is performing the ritual
and Im not the one doing this
because Im just a vessel. So if
you feel that Im taking advan-
tage of you, please forgive me,
Ploi quoted him as saying.
She alleged Kittichai also
threatened her, warning that if
she told anyone about the ritual
she would face her demise.
The woman told police that
she eventually decided to
take legal action against the
fortune teller because she felt
that she was being sexually
abused by him.
He denied the charge, saying
he had no intention to harrass
clients. My body was a vessel
during the rituals the suspect
said. Police did not believe him
and he was detained for further
questioning. BANGKOKPOST
World
13
Singapore charges firm
over N Korea smuggling
SINGAPORE on Tuesday filed
criminal charges against a
shipping firm based in the city-
state accused of helping
smuggle missiles and other
military hardware from Cuba to
North Korea. The foreign and
home affairs ministries said in a
joint statement that the charges
were filed against Chinpo
Shipping Company Pte Ltd and
a Singapore citizen identified as
Tan Hui Tin. Chinpo Shipping
transferred $72,000 to a
shipping company in Panama
on July 8, 2013 in the knowledge
the money could be used to
contribute to the nuclear-
related, ballistic-missile-related,
or other weapons of mass
destruction-related programs
or activities of North Korea,
according to the charges. AFP
Japan accuses China

of dangerous flights
JAPAN accused China of flying
fighter jets dangerously close
to two of its military planes over
the East China Sea yesterday, as
bilateral tensions simmer over
the countries territorial dispute.
Two Chinese SU-27 jets flew as
close as 30 metres (100 feet)
away from the Japanese
defence aircraft at about 11am
local time (0200 GMT), the
Defence Ministry in Tokyo said.
Defence Minister Itsunori
Onodera told reporters his
ministry had lodged a diplomatic
complaint with China over the
incident. The area is about 200-
300 kilometres north of the
Japanese-controlled Senkaku
islands, which China also claims
and calls the Diaoyus. AFP
Police storm
group in ferry
owner search
Ed Jones

T
HOUSANDS of Sou-
th Korean police
forced their way into
the compound of a
splinter religious group yes-
terday in their search for a
fugitive businessman want-
ed in connection with Aprils
ferry disaster.
Live television reports
showed police ofcers, many
in full riot gear, streaming
into the sprawling church
and farming complex in a
morning raid in Anseong, 80
kilometres (50 miles) south
of Seoul.
A spokesman for the Gyeo-
nggi province police force
said 6,000 ofcers were in-
volved. The huge operation
came a day after President
Park Geun-hye urged police
and prosecutors to step up
a manhunt for Yoo Byung-
eun, 72, a leading member
of the Evangelical Baptist
Church of Korea.
Yoo is the patriarch of the
family behind the Chonghae-
jin Marine Co the company
that owned and operated the
6,825-tonne Sewol passenger
ferry which sank on April 16
with the loss of 300 lives, most
of them schoolchildren.
Yoo must be brought to
justice, Park told a cabinet
meeting.
He is wanted for question-
ing on possible charges of
embezzlement and criminal
negligence, as prosecutors in-
vestigate the extent to which
the Sewol disaster was caused
by a lack of safety standards
and regulatory violations.
The raid netted three
church followers suspected
of helping Yoo evade a na-
tionwide dragnet put in
place after he deed an of-
cial summons to surrender
to prosecutors last month.
Police were searching for
10 more alleged accomplices
identied in a warrant that
was also aimed at getting
hold of Yoo and his son, a
prosecutor said.
Yoo has no direct stake in
Chonghaejin, but his chil-
dren and close aides control
it through a complex web of
holding companies.
A reward of 500 million won
($490,000) has been offered
for information leading to the
capture of Yoo and 100 mil-
lion won for that of his eldest
son, Yoo Dae-kyun.
Police had raided the
church complex in Anseong
three weeks ago but came
away empty-handed, amid
reports that Yoo may have
ed overseas.
The church followers erect-
ed a barricade at the entrance
to the complex, but made no
move to block the police yes-
terday after they forced their
way through. More than 100
members staged a sitdown
protest outside the main
gate of the complex, singing
hymns and chanting slogans.
One spokesman argued
that Yoo was being set up as a
fall guy for the Sewol disaster,
because the government was
unwilling to accept respon-
sibility for regulatory failings
contributing to the tragedy.
[Prosecutors] should fully
investigate the true cause of
the accident before arresting
Yoo, he said in statement
read out to reporters.
Our church will give 500
million won for those who
reveal the truth behind the
accident, he added.
Yoo has described himself
as an artist and photographer,
and was once convicted of
fraud when a company under
his control went bankrupt.
The Sewols regular captain,
who was off duty on the day of
the accident, has told prosecu-
tors that Chonghaejin Marine
Co brushed aside repeated
warnings that the 20-year-old
ship had stability issues fol-
lowing a renovation in 2012.
Five Chonghaejin ofcials
have been arrested on vari-
ous charges, including crimi-
nal negligence and breaches
of maritime safety laws.
The police operation also
came a day after the trial
opened of 15 of the Sewols
surviving crew.
The captain and three of
his senior crew members
are charged with homicide
through wilful negligence
and could face the death pen-
alty if convicted. AFP
Followers sit before police outside the compound of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Korea, in Anseong,
80 kilometres south of Seoul yesterday. AFP
Abuse grows as thousands ee Myanmar
Filipino militant on US most wanted arrested
THE thousands of Rohingya Muslims
still flooding out of Myanmars Rakhine
state two years after violence erupted
there are facing increasing abuse and
exploitation, the UN refugee agency
warned on Tuesday.
Two waves of deadly communal vio-
lence between Buddhists and Muslims
in Rakhine in 2012 left some 200 people
dead and around 140,000 displaced,
mainly Rohingya.
Two years after inter-communal vio-
lence erupted in Myanmars Rakhine
state, thousands of people are still leav-
ing by boat from the Bay of Bengal,
UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards
said. Reports of abuse and exploitation
as people seek safety and stability else-
where are meanwhile increasing, he
said. He also said that the desperate
refugees faced abuse and exploitation
from smugglers and traffickers en route,
but also once they reached countries
like Thailand and Malaysia.
The UNHCR estimates that more than
86,000 people have left the area by boat
from the Bay of Bengal since June 2012,
including 15,000 between January and
April this year alone.
People who have made it to Thai-
land, Malaysia or Indonesia have told
UNHCR staff about overcrowded boats
that sometimes lost their way or devel-
oped engine problems, Edwards said.
Boats sometimes ran out of food and
water, and people who died along the
way were said to have been thrown
overboard, he said.
Some of those who reached Thailand
told the UNHCR they had been taken
to overcrowded smugglers camps in
the jungles or hills near the Thailand-
Malaysia border, where they were kept
for months sometimes in cages
until their families could pay for their
release, Edwards said.
They recount daily beatings and that
some people died, he said, adding that
they spent their days sitting in con-
fined spaces and nights sleeping upright
or in foetal position due to the lack of
space. The stateless Rohingya are con-
sidered by the UN to be one of the
worlds most persecuted minorities.
Many of the displaced have gone with-
out access to healthcare and other help
after attacks on international human-
itarian groups by Buddhist extremists
earlier this year.
The UNHCR said on Tuesday that
humanitarian assistance had resumed
and that it remained committed to
providing temporary shelters, coordi-
nating camp management and
addressing a difficult protection situ-
ation in Rakhine.
However, Edwards said: We are wary
of activities that could entrench segre-
gation and protracted displacement.
Fourteen Rohingya women and chil-
dren fled from their shelter in the
southernmost province of Narathiwat
yesterday morning, believed to be
intent on joining relatives who have
settled in Malaysia, the Bangkok Post
reported. AFP
A PHILIPPINE Islamic mili-
tant on the US governments
most wanted list was arrest-
ed in a Manila slum yester-
day, authorities said, seven
years after he spectacularly
broke out of jail.
Khair Mundos, who had a
$500,000 reward from the
United States government on
his head, was detained in a
rundown Muslim quarter
near the capitals airport
where he was staying with
relatives, the police and mili-
tary said after a joint raid.
The US State Departments
Rewards for Justice website
describes him as a key lead-
er and financier of the Abu
Sayyaf, an Islamic militant
group that is blamed for the
worst extremist attacks in the
Philippines.
The group, founded with
seed money from al-Qaeda, is
believed to have only a few
hundred militants but has suc-
cessfully carried out deadly
bomb attacks and kidnap-
pings, often targeting foreign-
ers and Christians.
Mundos had been captured
in 2004 in the southern Philip-
pine region of Mindanao, a
largely lawless area roughly
1,000 kilometres (600 miles)
from Manila where the Abu
Sayyaf is based.
He was arrested on the first-
ever money laundering charg-
es against terrorists, accord-
ing to the Rewards for Justice
website.
It said that Mundos con-
fessed in custody to having
arranged the transfer of al-
Qaeda funds to the Abu
Sayyafs top leader for bomb-
ings and other criminal acts
throughout Mindanao.
He was also charged in the
Philippines with multiple
counts of murder.
However Mundos was
among dozens of militants
who escaped from Kidapawan
City prison in Mindanao in
February 2007.
Muslim insurgents, using
grenade launchers, blasted
their way into the jail before
dawn, then pinned down a
handful of guards with rifle
fire while Mundos and the
others fled. AFP
Philippine Islamic militant Khair Mundos is ngerprinted by Philippine
police yesterday. AFP
World
14
Snowden did a service
with NSA leaks: Al Gore
EDWARD Snowden has
secured his highest
endorsement yet in the US, with
former vice-president Al Gore
calling the leaking of top secret
intelligence documents as an
important service. Asked if he
regarded Snowden as a traitor
or whistleblower, Gore veered
away from the traitor label.
He refused to go as far as
labelling him a whistleblower
but signalled he viewed him as
being closer to that category
than a traitor. Asked how he
would define Snowdens
actions, Gore replied: I would
push it more away from the
traitor side . . . He clearly violated
the law so you cant say OK,
what he did is all right. Its not.
But what he revealed in the
course of violating important
laws included violations of the
US Constitution that were way
more serious than the crimes
he committed. In the course of
violating important law, he also
provided an important service.
OK. Because we did need to
know how far this has gone.
THEGUARDIAN
Court hands Egyptian
activist 15 years prison
AN EGYPTIAN court jailed
prominent activist Alaa Abdel
Fattah, a symbol of the 2011
revolt against Hosni Mubarak,
for 15 years yesterday for
assaulting a policeman during
an illegal protest. He and two
co-defendants were arrested
immediately after the ruling as
they waited to be allowed to
enter the makeshift court at a
Cairo police academy. Because
the verdict was pronounced in
absentia, Abdel Fattah will be
granted a retrial, said his father
Ahmed Seif, who is also his
lawyer. Alaa was not allowed to
enter the court, he said,
denouncing what he said was a
hasty ruling issued after just a
few hearings. We had not yet
watched any of the video
evidence in the case, he said,
nor had the prosecution and
defence presented their cases.
The sentencing comes just
days after the swearing in of
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi,
who has vowed to return Egypt
to stability rather than pursue
democratic freedoms. AFP
Obama congratulates

next Israeli president
BARACK Obama has
congratulated Israelis newly
elected next president, the
hawkish Reuven Rivlin, and
poured praise on his friend,
outgoing President Shimon
Peres. President-elect Rivlin
has a long and dedicated record
of public service and we look
forward to continued strong ties,
to the benefit of both our
nations, under Mr. Rivlins
presidency, Obama said in a
statement. Some of Rivlins
views including his opposition
to a Palestinian state and strong
support for Israeli settlement in
the West Bank conflict with US
policy. The State Department
sought to play down concerns,
stressing that stalled talks
coordinated by the US between
the Palestinians and Israel were
not within the Israeli presidents
purview. Rivlin won a run-off
vote against his centrist
challenger Meir Sheetrit by 63
votes to 53 in a secret ballot of
the Knessets 120 MPs. He will
take over from Peres in July. AFP
Tamils testimony on abuse, rape
S
IVA, a Tamil from Sri
Lanka, is facing de-
portation from the UK
for the second time
in two years. The last time he
fought the journey every inch
of the way. They loaded me
on the plane rst, right at the
back, because I was making a
lot of noise, screaming. I was
very scared and begged them
not to send me back, but they
said if I didnt go quietly, they
would handcuff me and force
me to go, he said.
Given his account of what
he had lived through in his
home country, his panic is
unsurprising. Since the bru-
tal end to the Sri Lankan civil
war ve years ago, human
rights groups have accused
the government in Colombo
of routinely abducting and
torturing Tamils it suspects of
sympathies with the defeated
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ee-
lam (LTTE) insurgency.
Rape and sexual abuse of
men and women is a factor in
two-thirds of the cases stud-
ied by Freedom from Torture,
a British advocacy group.
Siva was detained in a po-
lice station, tortured and
forced to perform oral sex on
his guards over a period of
ve weeks. He only escaped
after his family paid a bribe.
But, when he nally arrived
in the UK, the Home Ofce
did not believe his account.
He was deported in 2012 after
exhausting his appeals.
When he arrived at Colombo
airport, he was interrogated by
police for ve hours, but they
did not appear to be aware he
had been in detention before
and had claimed asylum. He
was allowed to go, but soon
the police came looking for
him, forcing to him to ee
and hide with friends in tea
plantations, never venturing
outdoors. It was attending his
sisters wedding in Colombo
that was his undoing.
Police ofcers came for
him on the second evening,
claiming he had helped
channel money to the LTTE
ve years earlier and was
now trying to reorganise a
terrorist organisation.
I dont know how to de-
scribe what went through
my head at that moment; I
was very scared. I cried and
shouted but they handcuffed
and blindfolded me and put
a gag in my mouth to silence
me. They started hitting me
even inside the vehicle and
put a gun to my head because
they were angry that Id hid
from them. I knew I was go-
ing to be tortured again.
It started that rst night at
the police station in Colombo,
with kicking, punching, slap-
ping and beating with blunt
instruments. Siva was hung
upside down by his feet, his
hands tied behind his back,
and his head submerged in a
barrel of water.
He was suffocated by hav-
ing a plastic bag soaked in
petrol tied over his head. He
was branded on several oc-
casions with a hot metal rod,
leaving 11 visible scars on his
back, and burned with ciga-
rettes leaving at least 17 vis-
ible scars.
An expert independent
medical report subsequently
obtained in the UK conrms
Sivas scars are consistent
with his account of torture.
He also has the arrest warrant
and court documents renew-
ing his detention to prove he
was indeed held in custody.
He was also repeatedly
raped. Even at night they
didnt allow us to sleep;
they sexually tortured us. I
was raped by different men
and sometimes other men
watched. They were not wear-
ing uniform and they were
drunk. They called me Tamil
slave and son of a bitch.
Ten months later, Sivas fam-
ily again paid a bribe for his
release, though the ofcial
police records say he escaped.
Siva took a boat to India and
then made his way back to the
UK, arriving this year. When
he went to the Home Ofce
to apply for asylum again, he
says he wasnt eligible because
he had already been deported.
Now he has to sign in at a po-
lice station monthly but every
time he fears he could be de-
tained again and deported.
If I am deported for a sec-
ond time, I wont go; Id rather
die here. Because of the immi-
gration people here I suffered
more; they didnt take the
right decision and because
of them I was detained for
months and suffered physical
and mental torture.
Asked what he felt about the
global summit on preventing
sexual violence being held
in London, a few miles from
where he is staying, he said:
I feel like the British govern-
ment has double standards
hosting this summit; they are
showing two different faces to
the world.
The UKs foreign minister,
William Hague, who launched
the sexual violence sum-
mit, said on Tuesday that the
government will investigate
claims that Tamil asylum
seekers are being deported
from the UK to Sri Lanka de-
spite evidence they have been
subjected to rape and sexual
abuse by the countrys secu-
rity forces. THE GUARDIAN
Sri Lankan police watch a rally denouncing Oslos alleged support to
remnants of Tamil Tiger rebels living abroad, in Colombo on May 18. AFP
Afghanistan friendly re kills ve US troops
Le Pens in spat over remarks
A NATO airstrike in Afghanistan killed
five US soldiers in an apparent friend-
ly fire accident during clashes with
insurgents, officials said on Tuesday, as
troops try to ensure security for the
presidential election.
Local police and the Afghan army
said that the US troops, as well as one
Afghan soldier, were killed in the res-
tive province of Zabul when air support
was unleashed to try to beat back Tali-
ban fighters.
Friendly fire incidents have been rare
in Afghanistan in recent years, though
five Afghan soldiers were killed in a
NATO airstrike in the eastern province
of Logar in March.
Five American troops were killed
yesterday during a security operation
in southern Afghanistan, Pentagon
spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby
said in Washington. Investigators are
looking into the likelihood that friend-
ly fire was the cause.
Afghanistan is braced for Saturdays
run-off presidential election which
the Taliban have vowed to target and
Monday nights joint US-Afghan oper-
ation was tasked with boosting secu-
rity ahead of polling day.
Our forces were jointly engaged in
fighting with militants. Foreign forces
called in air support and they mistak-
enly bombed friendly positions, said
Mohsin Khan, spokesman for the
Afghan armys 205 division. We also
lost one solider and another one
was wounded.
The US-led International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) is winding
down operations in Afghanistan after
more than a decade of fighting the
Taliban, and the number of soldiers on
the front line has fallen rapidly in the
last year.
Mondays deaths in Arghandab dis-
trict, a Taliban stronghold, were the
worst single incident for the NATO force
since five British soldiers were killed in
a helicopter crash on April 26.
The casualties occurred during a
security operation when their unit came
into contact with enemy forces, ISAF
said in a statement.
Tragically, there is the possibility that
fratricide may have been involved.
All of the 50,000 remaining NATO
combat troops are due to leave the
country by the end of this year, though
a small US deployment will remain
until the end of 2016 if a long-delayed
deal is signed between Washington
and Kabul.
The south and east of Afghanistan
are the most violent parts of the coun-
try as the Taliban wage a guerrilla war
against the Kabul government and
NATO troops.
Afghan security forces have taken
over responsibility for thwarting the
Taliban, but NATO troops still accom-
pany them on some patrols. AFP
JEAN-MARIE Le Pen, the
founder of Frances far-right
National Front (FN) and his
daughter Marine, the partys
president, are engaged in a
public spat over his alleged
antisemitic remarks. Le Pen
senior is not in the habit of
being told off by members of his
own party, that he founded in
the 1970s, but has been openly
criticised by FN leaders.
The row erupted after he
made a video aired on the FN
website in which he makes a
play on the word four (oven)
seen as referring to the Nazi
concentration camps when
disparaging a French singer of
Jewish origin.
Marine Le Pen, who has
worked to present a softer,
less xenophobic face of
the far-right i n France,
described the comment as a
political gaffe and ordered
the video to be pulled from
the partys website.
Marines partner Louis Aliot,
who is also FN deputy leader,
described the founders com-
ments as politically stupid
and worrying.
Le Pen hit back at his daugh-
ter. The political gaffe is those
who are lining up with the gen-
eral view. They want to seem
like other political parties. If
thats the wish of a certain
number of FN leaders, theyve
succeeded. Theyre the ones
who have made a political
gaffe, not me, he said.
Gilbert Collard, an FN mem-
ber of parliament, stirred the
controversy even further by
suggesting it was time for Jean-
Marie Le Pen to retire.
Marine is trying to form a
group [of far-right euroscep-
tics] in the European parlia-
ment and he drops this clang-
er. Frankly, its very annoying
and it complicates Marines
job enormously, he said.
European Jewish Congress
president Dr Moshe Kantor
has called on the European
Union to strip Jean-Marie Le
Pen of his parliamentary
immunity and for French
authorities to charge him with
incitement to racial hatred.
Jean-Marie Le Pen has come
out with controversial com-
ments over the years, such as
saying the gas chambers in
World War II were a detail of
history or more recently that
the Ebola virus could address
Europes immigration issues.
THE GUARDIAN/AFP
LONDON Mayor Boris John-
son has decided to buy three
water cannons for the Metro-
politan Police. The purchase
from the German federal
police is the rst by a force
in Great Britain. Critics say
the decision smacks of arro-
gance. It comes before The-
resa May, the home secretary,
has reached a decision on
whether to sanction their use.
A document on the mayors
policing and crime website
states: Following the mayoral
consultation, approval is sought
to purchase three water cannon
with immediate effect.
The timing of this decision is
driven by the enhanced risk that
the water cannon, currently
available to be purchased sec-
ondhand, are sold to another
European police authority. The
saving represented by this pur-
chase is so significant as to jus-
tify the risk caused by the delay
in the licensing process.
Approval was given for the
purchase by the deputy mayor
for policing. The cost will be
218,000 ($366,000) and the
mayor justifies the speed of
purchase by saying the cannon
are needed in case of disorder
this summer in London.
The Met commissioner, Sir
Bernard Hogan-Howe, has
pledged that water cannon
would be rarely used and
rarely seen.
It has been used regularly in
Northern Ireland but never in
England. THE GUARDIAN
London mayor to buy
water cannon for Met
15
World
Flipping angry
Circus workers perform in Mexico City on Tuesday as part of a protest against a law that prohibits the use of animals in their shows. The law was
approved on Monday by the local assembly of Mexico City. AFP
A DOCTOR from Oklahoma,
inspired by one of Americas
deadliest school shootings,
has invented an unusual de-
fence against crazed gunmen
who open re in classrooms: a
bulletproof blanket.
Steve Walker, a 43-year-old
father of two, said he developed
the orange-colored shield
compared by broadcaster NPR
to a yoga mat to give children
greater protection from shoot-
ings and tornadoes.
Walker says he was left frus-
trated by the murder of 20 chil-
dren and six adults at Sandy
Hook Elementary School in
December 2012 and by a dead-
ly tornado that hit schools in
Oklahoma in May 2013.
The group Everytown for
Gun Safety says there have
been 74 school shootings
since Sandy Hook. The mas-
sacre triggered intense debate
about relatively lax US gun
control laws, but measures
supported by President Barack
Obama failed in the Senate.
Walker said he and his co-
inventors wanted to get above
the political deadlock and de-
velop something that hopeful-
ly both sides can agree upon.
We really dont take one
side or another, because do-
ing that just gets you where we
currently are, and that is no
protection for our children.
Developers say the $1,000
blanket uses the same bul-
let resistant materials used
by the US military and pro-
tects against 90 per cent of all
weapons that have been used
in US school shootings.
Trademarked as Bodyguard
Blanket, its promotional video
shows children crouching un-
der the shield strapped to their
backs, albeit with the sides of
their bodies exposed. But the
product has divided opinion.
On the products Facebook
page, some criticise the bright
orange color as likely to draw a
shooters attention.
Media have warned that at
$1,000 each, the blanket is
likely to be beyond the budget
of many school districts, even
if substantial discounts are of-
fered. Walker acknowledged
bullet-resistant material is
expensive, but he claimed the
blankets work out up to ve
times cheaper than tornado
shelters that can cost up to $5
million to build. AFP
School shootings spur
bulletproof blankets
GM a quantum leap in malaria war
Adam Vaughan

S
CIENTISTS have hailed
the genetic modica-
tion of mosquitoes that
could crash the insects
populations as a quantum
leap that will make a substan-
tial and important contribu-
tion to eradicating malaria.
Previous efforts to tackle
the disease which kills more
than a million people each
year, most of them African
children have included bed
nets to protect people and
insecticides to kill the spe-
cies most responsible for the
transmission of malaria.
The new technique by a team
at Imperial College London
involves injecting mosquitoes
with a gene that causes the
vast majority of their offspring
to be male, leading to an even-
tual dramatic decline in popu-
lation within six generations
as females disappear.
You have a short-term ben-
et because males dont bite
humans [and transmit ma-
laria], Andrea Crisanti, one
of the authors of the new re-
search, which was published
in the journal Nature Commu-
nications on Tuesday, said.
But in the long term you will
eventually eradicate or sub-
stantially reduce mosquitoes.
This could make a substantial
contribution to eradicating
malaria, combined with other
tools such as insecticides.
The scientists injected mos-
quitoes with a gene from slime
mould a homing endonu-
clease called I-PpoI which
attached itself to their X chro-
mosome during the males
sperm-making process and
effectively shredded part of
the chromosomes DNA. The
result was that more than 95
per cent of the mosquitoes
offspring were males. The re-
searchers found that the mod-
ied mosquitoes mated with
wild mosquitoes. This created
fertile mosquitoes that over-
whelmingly produced male
offspring, passing on the gene.
Under eld conditions the
accumulation of X chromo-
some damage would signi-
cantly contribute to the demise
of target populations, the sci-
entists say in their paper.
The engineering is a quan-
tum leap in terms of what has
been done before, said Cri-
santi, who worked on previous
research in 2008, which took a
similar approach but uninten-
tionally resulted in sterile mos-
quitoes, meaning the genes
ability to spread was limited.
Nikolai Windbichler, a re-
search fellow at Imperial Col-
lege London and co-author,
said the concept of distorting
the sex of a pests population
is more than 50 years old but
that the technology had not
been available until now to
execute the idea.
The concept was suggested
by Bill Hamilton [the famous
evolutionary biologist, WD
Hamilton], but until now there
wasnt a way to realise it. There
are selsh chromosomes
around but theyre too com-
plicated, so we created some-
thing like this from scratch
[the homing gene using syn-
thetic biology], he said. We
found mosquitoes have a ge-
netic Achilles heel.
Dr Thomas Walker, lecturer
at the London School of Hy-
giene & Tropical Medicine,
said the work was very prom-
ising but added that any un-
certainty was in how the GM
mosquitoes would fare out of
the lab and in the eld.
The biggest problem with
releasing modied mosqui-
toes in to the wild, is will they
compete with existing males?
They need that mating be-
tween transgenic males and
wild females. There is no evi-
dence to think might not mate
in the eld, though maybe
they will nd males are not
quite as t [as wild male mos-
quitoes] on eld release.
He added that because re-
searchers were attacking a
multicopy gene rather than a
single gene, the chance of wild
mosquitoes evolving to resist
the technique was limited.
Dr Helen Williams, director
of GeneWatch UK, a nonprot
which has been critical of pre-
vious GM mosquito research,
warned of unintentional con-
sequences of crashing mos-
quito populations. We would
want to ensure that the risks
are properly considered before
GM mosquitoes are released
into the environment.
For example, reducing the
population of one mosquito
species can increase the pop-
ulation of other mosquitoes,
so you can potentially make it
worse. If you change an eco-
system and remove a species,
another species often moves
into that niche.
She said the call on whether
they should be used in the wild
should be down to the people
living in the countries where
the GM mosquitoes would be
released. THE GUARDIAN
Chinas Vietnam war veterans ghting a new battle
MARGINALISED and misunderstood,
Chinese veterans of a brief, little-cel-
ebrated war against their southern
neighbours Vietnam risk beatings and
prison in a new battle with govern-
ment officials.
Teng Xingqiu is one of thousands of
retired Chinese soldiers staging an
increasing number of protests over
unpaid benefits and unnerving com-
munist authorities. The police told
me they hoped Id die in jail, said
Teng, whose activism landed him a
three-year prison sentence in 2009.
A thin man with scars he says result
from police violence, the 56-year-old
scanned the streets for surveillance
cameras before choosing a run-down
restaurant as a safe meeting spot.
The current tensions over Beijings
deployment of an oil rig to disputed
waters are only the latest strain between
the communist neighbours.
Teng was posted to the border area
during a brief but bloody war in Janu-
ary 1979 Chinas last major land con-
flict launched by Beijing to punish
Hanoi for invading Cambodia and
overthrowing Pol Pot, a Chinese ally.
China reportedly acknowledges los-
ing 6,954 soldiers. Other estimates put
the toll at over 20,000, with even high-
er figures for Vietnamese casualties.
No national memorial to the conflict
exists, and Beijing rarely mentions it.
Teng said: Ordinary Vietnamese
worked in secret with the army, old
men and women would even shoot at
us, it was really terrifying.
Beijing declared victory and with-
drew its troops less than a month after
they reached an outpost near Hanoi.
Vietnam also regards it as a success,
saying it repelled Chinese forces.
The US has produced hundreds of
films and novels about its own Viet-
nam war, but Chinas experience there
is rarely spoken about, and first-hand
accounts are heavily censored.
Leaving the army, Teng was assigned
a job in a state-run firm, but was later
laid off and could only find work as a
rubbish collector. Soldiers of the time
were left behind by change, said Neil
Diamant, a professor at Dickinson
College in the US who has studied
veteran activism, and now many are
living hand to mouth with mounting
medical expenses. China often vows
aid for its veterans estimated to
number millions but rules conflict
and are poorly enforced.
Teng says he makes about 1,000
yuan ($160) a month from odd jobs
but thinks the government should
find him a wage matching the approx-
imately 2,800 yuan average income in
his home town of Yiyang, in the central
province of Hunan.
He was sentenced to more than three
years in jail for assembling to disturb
order in a public place, after banding
together with other former soldiers,
who donned army uniforms to protest
outside government offices.
China sees hundreds of demonstra-
tions involving thousands of veterans
every year, rights groups say, with
more than 10,000 reportedly doing so
in 11 provinces late last month.
But authorities view any organised
dissent as a risk, and crack down harsh-
ly. Significantly, any suggestion of dis-
loyalty in the military a pillar of Com-
munist Party control is anathema to
Chinas rulers, who stress the need for
the army to follow party orders.
Teng has repeatedly tried appealing
to central authorities in Beijing, but
local officials detained him in illegal
black jails, a common fate for pro-
testers. There he suffered daily beat-
ings, he says, and guards forced him
to eat food scraps off his cell floor.
Now his communications are mon-
itored and police who installed a
surveillance camera outside his home
detained him for 24 hours after he
was contacted by AFP, warning him
not to speak to the media.
Yet Teng is still a staunch supporter
of Beijings assertive foreign policy.
Defending your rights is more dan-
gerous than fighting a war. You can be
arrested at any time. AFP
Opinion
16
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T
ODAY, June 12, my country
celebrates Russia Day. First
commemorated in 1992, it
one of the youngest holidays
in the Russian Federation. This holi-
day reflects not only the major dem-
ocratic and economic transforma-
tions that have begun since then, but
also the entire historical path of the
Russian state which has existed for
over 11 centuries.
On this day I would like to share
with you my vision of present Rus-
sia-Cambodia relations and take the
opportunity to express personal
affection to this unique country.
First of all I would like to say that I
am happy to be in Cambodia again,
now as ambassador. I was here in the
end of 1980s just before graduating
from the Moscow State Institute of
International Relations where I stud-
ied the Khmer language, history, cul-
ture and religion.
I expected a lot, but the reality sur-
passed my expectations. I was
charmed by the beauty of Cambo-
dias nature, and the hospitality and
sincerity of its people. Before my
arrival in Cambodia in the beginning
of this year, I thought about the huge
changes and progress that had been
made here over the past 30 years.
And I was happy to see that one
thing remained unchanged mutual
understanding and trust between
our countries. A month ago, on May
13, Russia and Cambodia marked the
58th anniversary of establishing dip-
lomatic relations. We have a long his-
tory of solid friendship: the USSR
always gave broad economic and
military-technical support and
assistance to Cambodia. However,
after perturbations connected with
disintegration of the USSR in 1991,
relations with countries in Southeast
Asia were challenged by the com-
plexity of the new transition period.
But by the middle of the 90s, bilater-
al efforts were made to restore Rus-
sia-Cambodia relations and form
landmark political, legislative and
economic foundations. In 1995, Rus-
sia and Cambodia signed the Joint
Declaration on the Foundations of
Friendly Relations, the Intergovern-
mental Agreement on Trade and
Economic Relations, the Intergov-
ernmental Agreement on Cultural
and Scientific Cooperation and the
Protocol on Consultations between
the ministries of foreign affairs of
both countries. By the beginning of
the 21st century, Russia-Cambodia
relations began to take a clear shape,
and the dynamics have been over-
whelmingly positive.
In terms of politics, Russia and Cam-
bodia as before share the same vision
of major global and regional issues. We
carry on an open, sincere and con-
structive dialogue on the whole range
of the agenda of international rela-
tions, including security issues in
Southeast Asia, regional integration
and cooperation with the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations.
Trade and economic cooperation
between Russia and Cambodia is
on the rise and our countries have
a substantial potential for active
development. In 2006, bilateral
trade turnover between our coun-
tries amounted to $10.8 million. By
2013 that figure had reached $133.2
million. This year, in January alone,
trade between our nations was val-
ued at $10.9 million a 90 per cent
increase compared with January
2013.
Not only are we seeking to broaden
our economic ties and investigating
long-term investment prospects with
our Cambodian partners, we are also
committed to finding mutually suita-
ble agreements and ways of resolving
existing issues. One of the tools that
help us keep in close contact is the
Russia-Cambodia Intergovernmental
Commission on Trade-Economic
and Scientific and Technological
Cooperation, which was established
in 1997.
Together with the increase of bilat-
eral trade, the diversification of
imported and exported goods is vital
to stimulate investment activity. The
conclusion of an intergovernmental
agreement on encouragement and
reciprocal protection of investments,
which we hope will happen this year,
would be a tremendous driver for
further success.
Cambodia is becoming more pop-
ular among Russian tourists
despite the far distances and the
fact we have yet to complete an
agreement between our countries
on direct air traffic. In 2013, over
131,000 Russian citizens visited this
Kingdom of Wonder. Thats a more
than fourfold increase since 2010,
when about 30,000 Russians toured
in this country.
I am proud to tell say that in Febru-
ary a very important and long-await-
ed event for the growing Russian
diaspora in Cambodia took place
the ceremonious laying of the foun-
dation stone of Orthodox churches
in Sihanoukville and in Siem Reap.
There are plans to build a church in
Phnom Penh as well.
We are going to maintain and
develop a tradition of cooperation in
the sphere of education. More than
8,000 Cambodians have studied in
the USSR and Russia. Many of them
now hold high positions in govern-
mental structures of Cambodia.
Summarising the above, I would
like to emphasise that Russia-Cam-
bodia relations are becoming more
and more dynamic, and the trends of
recent years prove this. But we have
even more work ahead, and I do
hope that our joint efforts will result
in highly effective and fruitful coop-
eration in many spheres for the ben-
efit of our two countries.
Comment
Dmitry Tsvetkov
Our Cambodia-Russia friendship
Dmitry Tsvetkov is the ambassador of the Rus-
sian Federation to the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov listens during an East Asia Summit Ministerial Meeting at the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations regional forum at Phnom Penhs Peace Palace in 2012. AFP
17
Lifestyle Lifestyle
In brief
Lopez to sing at World
Cup opening after all
JENNIFER Lopez will perform
at todays opening ceremony
for the World Cup. The singer
has apparently reversed an
earlier decision to skip the Sao
Paulo concert, resolving the
unspecified production
issues that had made her
unable to appear. She will be
there, a spokesperson for
Lopez told People magazine.
Jennifer has always wanted to
participate in the World Cup
opening ceremonies. We have
been trying to work out
scheduling and logistics. Any
statements to the contrary
were premature. Jennifer
would not want to disappoint
her fans or fans of ftbol.
THE GUARDIAN
Google Glass banned by
cinema chain in the US
A POPULAR independent US
cinema chain has banned
users of Google Glass from its
properties over fears of piracy,
Deadline reports. Drafthouse
Cinemas, which has 20 sites
across the United States, said
users of the devices would not
be allowed to use them while
watching films. Google Glass
is feared because the wearable
glasses can be used to
surreptitiously record video.
THE GUARDIAN
Newly found Gauguin
to go on sale in London
A PREVIOUSLY unknown
painting by French artist Paul
Gauguin is expected to fetch
1.2 million ($2 million) when
it goes on sale in London later
this month. Auction house
Bonhams said that the still-life
work, titled Bouquet De Roses,
was completely unknown
before the anonymous seller
was contacted. It is thought
that the 1884 oil canvas
depicting yellow roses, a
traditional symbol of
friendship, was originally given
to a local politician in Rouen,
France. AFP
Spot the Dog creator
Eric Hill dies aged 86
ERIC HILL, the childrens
author who topped bestseller
charts with his picture books
about the mischievous yellow
puppy Spot, has died at the
age of 86 at his home in
California after a short illness.
Hills publisher, Puffin, has
confirmed the news, describ-
ing him as a master of simple
design. He created one of the
worlds most loveable child-
rens book characters Spot,
the charming, naughty, playful
puppy, loved and appreciated
across the world. THE GUARDIAN
Meet the Malawi Mouse Boys
T
HE four young men
scrape a living hawk-
ing barbecued mice
on the side of a Ma-
lawi highway, but that is just a
day job for the Malawi Mouse
Boys who could soon be sing-
ing their way out of poverty.
They hunt eld mice a deli-
cacy in Malawi to grill and sell
as kebab snacks to motorists
on the busy north-south high-
way connecting the largest cit-
ies of Blantyre and Lilongwe.
But when business is slow,
they bring out their instru-
ments a rudimentary guitar
crafted from scrap metal and
crude homemade percussion
rattles to play home-grown
gospel tunes.
It was by the side of the road
that Grammy-winning Ameri-
can producer Ian Brennan
discovered the Malawi Mouse
Boys two years ago.
Brennan stumbled upon
them after two weeks of driv-
ing for more than 2,000 kilo-
metres across the small African
country on bumpy, dusty roads
scouting for musical talent.
When Alfred [Gavanda]
sang for me by the roadside
and the local kids joined in on
the chorus the sun was going
down it was about as musi-
cal a moment as Ive had in my
life, Brennan recalled.
Guitar and vocals are backed
by a rhythmic pulse of percus-
sion shaken from aluminium
soda cans or plastic bottles
lled with dried grains of corn.
Living in grass-thatched huts
with no electricity or ush
toilets, the childhood friends
grew up singing songs of faith
to entertain villagers for free.
Few harmonise quite like
those that have learned to sing
together as kids, Brennan said.
The Malawi Mouse Boys
music has been compared to
the 20th-century American
gospel music of the likes of Sis-
ter Rosetta Tharpe and African-
American a cappella ensemble
the Fisk Jubilee Singers.
One of the bands vocal-
ists, Zondiwe Kachingwe, is
a world-class powerhouse,
soulful singer . . . and Alfreds
ethereal tenor is their secret
weapon with the harmonies,
Brennan said.
Jack McBrams, an entertain-
ment editor at one of Malawis
leading dailies, describes their
music as quite rare. Most pov-
erty-stricken villagers would use
music to complain about their
welfare instead of singing cel-
ebratory gospel tunes, he said.
They come from a very re-
mote village and they havent
had any inuence apart from
themselves, McBrams said.
So this music comes from
within . . . theyre really a dia-
mond in the rough.
In the two years since they
were discovered, the Malawi
Mouse Boys have released two
albums. Their debut He Is #1,
believed to be the rst album
to be released internation-
ally in the local Chichewa lan-
guage, was ranked in Amazons
top 75 albums of 2012.
It was recorded in Brennans
mobile studio on the beaten
earth outside the hut of one of
the musicians.
The only real obstacle to
catching lightning in a bottle
musically with these . . . young
men was the tiny spiders that
kept crawling into the hard
drive and crashing the mobile
system, Brennan said.
Last year the four mouse-sell-
ers travelled out of the country
for the rst time, performing
twice at Britains World of Mu-
sic Arts and Dance festival.
Their earnings so far have
been modest by the standards
of more industrialised coun-
tries but signicant in com-
parison to their usual income,
Brennan said.
For now they are back selling
mouse kebabs, earning rough-
ly two dollars a day each, but
hope that royalties and new
opportunities will extricate
them from the cycle of poverty.
I believe that one day our
lives will change and we will be
able to make money and stop
selling mice and become mu-
sicians that can make money
from music, Nelson Muligo,
30, told AFP. For now we still
sell mice because of poverty.
But someday we will stop sell-
ing mice and focus our energy
on music because that is what
will really improve our lives
forever, he added.
While few Malawians have
heard of the Malawi Mouse
Boys, vocalist Kachingwe, 24,
is proud that I have taken my
country, a poor country, and
put it on the world map.
My future looks bright now
that we are popular.
Their earnings so far have
helped to pay for fertiliser and
seeds and to prepare their
subsistence farms for the
past season.
I used to plough the eld on
my own, now I employ people
to work in my eld, said band
member Alfred Gavanda, 22.
He described the Malawi
Mouse Boys rst performance
before hundreds of white
people as a life-changing ex-
perience. AFP
Members of the Malawi Mouse Boys perform during an interview in May in the village of Njunga. AFP
With Dr Strange, have we reached peak superhero?
Leo Benedictus
MARVEL is planning to make a mov-
ie around the comic book character
Dr Strange. I suspect that your reac-
tion to this news like mine, like
most peoples is that you never
knew it made the comic.
But then, among comics fans,
enjoying Dr Strange has always car-
ried a certain mark of connoisseur-
ship. Created in 1963, Strange was
imagined as a brilliant but egotistical
surgeon who discovers magical pow-
ers (and a conscience) after his
hands are injured in an accident.
The mysticism of the stories and
their psychedelic visuals found a
small, discerning fanbase at the time,
but it is hard to see why Marvel
expects them to make a lot of money
from them now. A previous TV mov-
ie adaptation in 1978, for what its
worth, was an abject flop.
To the outsider, there is a feeling of
peak superhero about all this. And
indeed a wealth of other comic-book
adaptions are struggling to get made.
Ant-Man has just switched directors
after eight years in development.
Power Pack (a sort of preteen Fantas-
tic Four) never quite happened. Nor
has The Flash, so far. A decent Won-
der Woman movie is almost perma-
nently not being filmed.
Perhaps the recruitment of Dr
Strange along with the ceaseless re-
rebooting of Spider-Man and Super-
man is a sign that the good heroes
are at last running out? If so, we might
still not see the end of them for a long
time. Marvel says it has its movie
releases all scheduled until 2021, and
vast reserves of old superheroes
remain, just waiting to be fracked.
Black Panther, Tom Strong, Spider-
Girl, The Lost Generation and dozens
more could be announced before
some more reliable revenue stream
replaces them. And of course Marvel,
which is owned by Disney, is on stu-
pendous form. Iron Man was strictly
a recherch taste until director Jon
Favreau and Robert Downey Jr made
a jolly franchise out of him. The world
was not crying out for Thor the mov-
ie, but it then spent $450 million
going to see it, and a further $645 mil-
lion on its sequel.
Meanwhile The Avengers, a tasting
menu of minor Marvel heroes,
grossed more than a $1.5 billion. Per-
haps only mild recognition is needed,
provided you have good actors, writ-
ers and effects.
Nevertheless, the lowering of
expectations by Dr Strange fans has
already begun. Theres every possi-
bility that a Dr Strange film could be
well written and entertaining, Noah
Berlatsky says in the Atlantic. But
theres very little chance that a Dr
Strange film will have much of the
particular charm, or the greatness, of
the original comics.
To the billions who never read them
in the first place, that will not be a
disaster. THE GUARDIAN
Marvel comic books sit on display at Midtown Comics
in New York in August 2009. AFP
Motoring
18
Sparks fly with Teslas new Model S
Samuel Gibbs

M
Y FIRST encounter with
the electric car that may
even answer Jeremy
Clarksons objections to
such vehicles, was an intriguing one.
The Tesla Model S looks like a swish
saloon car, not a bug or bubble-car
like so many other electric vehicles,
and it has enough power to beat even
the Aston Martin Rapide, all without
petrol and with no emissions.
The rst Model S, the follow-up to
Tesla Motors Roadster electric sports
car, has nally rolled into the UK, two
years after going on sale in the US. The
launch at Londons Crystal, opposite
the O2, was hosted by the amboyant
serial Silicon Valley entrepreneur and
chief executive Elon Musk. It marks
the rst time the car has been avail-
able in right-hand drive and hails the
start of a new future for electric cars
that may t into peoples lives. That is,
if they can stomach the asking price:
49,900 ($83,700), for starters.
Tesla was founded by Musk, of Pay-
Pal then SpaceX fame, which became
the rst commercial spaceight com-
pany to launch and dock a spacecraft
with the International Space Sta-
tion in 2012. Musk has headed Telsa
since 2008 and famously rowed with
Clarkson on the BBCs Top Gear
show over the handling of the Model
Ss predecessor, the 87,000 Road-
ster sports car in 2008.
Since its US release in June 2012,
Tesla has sold more than 25,000 of
the ve-door Model S electric cars
worldwide, backed by a network of
the companys proprietary super-
chargers which can rapidly charge
the Teslas batteries giving up to a 170
mile top up in 30 minutes and a full
charge in 70 minutes, compared to
the standard 15-hour or overnight af-
fair for at-home charging.
The supercharger network is Teslas
big draw, making an electric car with
limited range practical. In Europe,
the stations only number 19 com-
pared with 94 in the US with most
in Germany and Norway. But that is
set to change as Tesla places free su-
percharging stations along the UKs
busiest routes. The current plan is to
cover from Dover and Bristol up to
the M25 and north along the M1, with
an inner-city London network and
the south covered in three months,
England in six months, and the whole
of the UK and Ireland covered by su-
perchargers in 18 months. Tesla says
Model S owners will be able to drive
the length of the UK with one 20-
minute top up mid-way.
With only 1,500 electric cars regis-
tered in the rst quarter of 2014, the
government hopes that Musk, the
electric car tsar, and his luxury elec-
tric saloon will boost electric cars.
The goal at Tesla is to produce a
mass market electric car, but we can
only get there one step at a time by
selling the Roadster and now the
Model S to fund the mass market,
said Musk.
The Model S is set to compete with
the BMWs and Mercedes of this world,
and its futuristic, swooping styling
provides a good-looking change to
the German cars hard lines. That al-
most sci- feel is maintained as you
approach the car and see the door
handles pop out automatically.
Inside its all premium Silicon Valley
technology. Musk likes to think of Te-
sla as the Apple of cars, which might
explain why there is what looks like a
large iPad complete with Apple-style
graphics where the centre console
should be. The 17-inch touchscreen
controls almost everything about the
car, from the air conditioning and
music to opening the sunroof and r-
ing up the heated windscreen wipers.
Below the screen the oor is en-
tirely at, while in front of the driver
the traditional gauges and dials are
replaced by digital instruments dis-
playing battery charge, power usage,
range and speed.
Theres no key hole or start button
to speak of. Simply placing the car
in drive with the key somewhere on
your person kickstarts the car into
life. Place your foot on the accelerator
and off you rush.
The Model S will do 0-60 miles
per hour in 4.2 seconds powered by
a motor the size of a ladys handbag,
Georg Ell, Teslas UK director, said.
It is a thrilling rush reaching 60mph
as fast as a Lamborghini Gallardo,
throwing you and your passengers
back into their seats. The only real
difference is that there is no roar of
the engine, just a squeal of the tyres
on the road, a space for ve passen-
gers with all their luggage.
But beyond that, driving the Model
S is as easy as any other car despite
the power under the hood. There
are no gears, no automatic gear box
to deal with, just a surge of constant
power that only a linear electric mo-
tor can provide. Mark me impressed,
this is no G Whiz or Nissan Leaf, this
is the Aston Martin or Audi of the
electric car world. However, the car
certainly feels heavy and despite a
low centre of gravity you can feel it in
the corners, as you would any large
performance saloon.
Teslas battery warranty spans eight
years even if the battery is damaged
by user negligence, while the car
comes with a four-year warranty.
Claims of zero emissions are slightly
disingenuous, given that the electric-
ity has to come from somewhere. At-
tached to the British domestic supply
it will still contribute at least 85g/km
of carbon to the environment costing
around 10 to fully charge. The aver-
age new car in the UK emits 128.3g/
km in 2013 according to the Society
of Motor Manufacturers and Traders,
however. THE GUARDIAN
A Tesla Motors Model S connected to a charger sits on display in March, 2014 The car will do 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds powered by a motor the size of a ladys handbag. BLOOMBERG
Lamborghini releases raging bull with the Huracan
SOME people may be disappointed to
hear this, but you can throw away
many of your preconceptions about
Lamborghini. And when I say precon-
ceptions, I mostly mean prejudices.
Before, with Lamborghinis, there
was a somewhat pejorative perception
of owners, that perhaps many of the
cars were bought in places like south
Florida, in cash, by young, bare-chest-
ed men without obvious professions.
Well, forget all that. The brand has
been owned by Volkswagen AG since
1998, and the infusion of shared tech-
nology, stability and R&D funding has
placed the often tumultuous brand on
far firmer ground.
Which brings us to the Huracan LP
610-4, ostensibly named after a Span-
ish fighting bull from the late 1800s.
The mid-engine coupe will be the new
volume model worldwide. Its the suc-
cessor to the hugely successful Gal-
lardo, which sold more than 14,000
cars over its 10-year life span, many of
them convertibles, special editions or
lightweight variants.
I test-drove the Huracan on all types
of roads and on the racetrack, and can
firmly say Lamborghini did not screw
this one up. As a volume model, its by
far the best blend of Italian flourish
and sure-footed engineering ever
released from SantAgata Bolognese.
As one would expect, the Huracan is
all-wheel drive, with a V-10 engine
mounted in the centre of the car. Also
expected, that 5.2-litre motor creates
prodigious power: 610 horsepower
and 412 pound-feet of torque.
The biggest improvement in driv-
ability comes from the new seven-
speed double-clutch transmission, a
far better unit than the clunky trans-
mission in the Gallardo.
Left in automatic mode, it moves
thorough gears briskly and smoothly.
Driven in the most aggressive settings,
using the paddles behind the steering
wheel, it still doesnt jar the car or its
passengers. Expect to find it ported
over to the Huracans more expensive
big brother, the Aventador.
The all-wheel drive helps you
through corners, working hand-in-
glove with the electronic differential.
Speed in, brake hard, get yanked
through the curve and then spit out
the other side. Its a universe of differ-
ence from early Gallardo models
On the track, the car slides nicely
when positioned correctly, and I
noticed the stability controls kicking
in in only one instance, when I made
a stupid mistake. In an older Lam-
borghini I might have spun. The Hura-
cans electronic controls threw on the
inside brakes and I escaped the turn.
Carbon ceramic brakes are stand-
ard, which is great on the track. As for
making the Huracan easy to drive
around town, variable assisted steer-
ing and shocks with magneto-rheo-
logical dampers are available as
options. Theres a nice mix of hard-
core and practical.
All of which makes the Huracan a
very grown-up supercar, as sensible
as any orange- or green-hued missile
worth a quarter of a million dollars
could possibly be. BLOOMBERG
The 2015 Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4s 5.2-litre motor creates prodigious power
with 610 horsepower and 412 pound-feet of torque. BLOOMBERG
Travel
19
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHEDULE
FROM PHNOM PENH TO PHNOM PENH
Flighs Days Dep Arrival Flighs Days Dep Arrival
PHNOMPENH- BANGKOK BANGKOK- PHNOMPENH
K6 720 Daily 12:05 01:10 K6 721 Daily 02:25 03:30
PG 938 Daily 06:40 08:15 PG 931 Daily 07:55 09:05
PG 932 Daily 09:55 11:10 TG 580 Daily 07:55 09:05
TG 581 Daily 10:05 11:10 PG 933 Daily 13:30 14:40
PG 934 Daily 15:30 16:40 FD 3616 Daily 15:15 16:20
FD 3617 Daily 17:05 18:15 PG 935 Daily 17:30 18:40
PG 936 Daily 19:30 20:40 TG 584 Daily 18:25 19:40
TG 585 Daily 20:40 21:45 PG 937 Daily 20:15 21:50
PHNOMPENH- BEIJING BEIJING- PHNOMPENH
CZ 324 Daily 08:00 16:05 CZ 323 Daily 14:30 20:50
PHNOMPENH- DOHA( ViaHCMC) DOHA- PHNOMPENH( ViaHCMC)
QR 965 Daily 16:30 23:05 QR 964 Daily 01:00 15:05
PHNOMPENH- GUANGZHOU GUANGZHOU- PHNOMPENH
CZ 324 Daily 08:00 11:40 CZ 6059 2.4.7 12:00 13:45
CZ 6060 2.4.7 14:45 18:10 CZ 323 Daily 19:05 20:50
PHNOMPENH- HANOI HANOI - PHNOMPENH
VN 840 Daily 17:30 20:35 VN 841 Daily 09:40 13:00
PHNOMPENH- HOCHI MINHCITY HOCHI MINHCITY- PHNOMPENH
QR 965 Daily 16:30 17:30 QR 964 Daily 14:05 15:05
VN 841 Daily 14:00 14:45 VN 920 Daily 15:50 16:30
VN 3856 Daily 19:20 20:05 VN 3857 Daily 18:00 18:45
PHNOMPENH- HONGKONG HONGKONG- PHNOMPENH
KA 207 1.2.4.7 11:25 15:05 KA 208 1.2.4.6.7 08:50 10:25
KA 207 6 11:45 22:25 KA 206 3.5.7 14:30 16:05
KA 209 1 18:30 22:05 KA 206 1 15:25 17:00
KA 209 3.5.7 17:25 21:00 KA 206 2 15:50 17:25
KA 205 2 19:00 22:35 - - - -
PHNOMPENH- INCHEON INCHEON- PHNOMPENH
KE 690 Daily 23:40 06:40 KE 689 Daily 18:30 22:20
OZ 740 Daily 23:50 06:50 OZ 739 Daily 19:10 22:50
PHNOMPENH- KUALALUMPUR KUALALUMPUR- PHNOMPENH
AK 1473 Daily 08:35 11:20 AK 1474 Daily 15:15 16:00
MH 755 Daily 11:10 14:00 MH 754 Daily 09:30 10:20
MH 763 Daily 17:10 20:00 MH 762 Daily 3:20 4:10
PHNOMPENH- PARIS PHNOMPENH- PARIS
AF 273 2 20:05 06:05 AF 273 2 20:05 06:05
PHNOMPENH- SHANGHAI SHANGHAI - PHNOMPENH
FM 833 2.3.4.5.7 19:50 23:05 FM 833 2.3.4.5.7 19:30 22:40
PHNOMPENH- SINGAPORE SINGAPORE-PHNOMPENH
MI 601 1.3.5.6.7 09:30 12:30 MI 602 1.3.5.6.7 07:40 08:40
MI 622 2.4 12:20 15:20 MI 622 2.4 08:40 11:25
3K 594 1234..7 15:25 18:20 3K 593 Daily 13:30 14:40
3K 594 ....56. 15:25 18:10 - - - -
MI 607 Daily 18:10 21:10 MI 608 Daily 16:20 17:15
2817 1.3 16:40 19:40 2816 1.3 15:00 15:50
2817 2.4.5 09:10 12:00 2816 2.4.5 07:20 08:10
2817 6 14:50 17:50 2816 6 13:00 14:00
2817 7 13:20 16:10 2816 7 11:30 12:30
PHNOMPENH-TAIPEI TAIPEI - PHNOMPENH
BR 266 Daily 12:45 17:05 BR 265 Daily 09:10 11:35
PHNOMPENH- VIENTIANE VIENTIANE- PHNOMPENH
VN 840 Daily 17:30 18:50 VN 841 Daily 11:30 13:00
QV 920 Daily 17:50 19:10 QV 921 Daily 11:45 13:15
PHNOMPENH- YANGON YANGON- SIEMREAP
8M 402 1.3.6 13:30 14:55 8M 401 1.3.6 08:20 10:45
SIEMREAP- PHNOMPENH
8M 401 1.3.6 11:45 12:30
SIEMREAP- BANGKOK BANGKOK- SIEMREAP
K6 700 Daily 12:50 2:00 K6 701 Daily 02:55 04:05
PG 924 Daily 09:45 11:10 PG 903 Daily 08:00 09:00
PG 906 Daily 13:15 14:40 PG 905 Daily 11:35 12:45
PG 914 Daily 15:20 16:45 PG 913 Daily 13:35 14:35
PG 908 Daily 18:50 20:15 PG 907 Daily 17:00 18:10
PG 910 Daily 20:30 21:55 PG 909 Daily 18:45 19:55
SIEMREAP- GUANGZHOU GUANGZHOU- SIEMREAP
CZ 3054 2.4.6 11:25 15:35 CZ 3053 2.4.6 08:45 10:30
CZ 3054 1.3.5.7 19:25 23:20 CZ 3053 1.3.5.7 16:35 18:30
SIEMREAP-HANOI HANOI - SIEMREAP
K6 850 Daily 06:50 08:30 K6 851 Daily 19:30 21:15
VN 868 1.2.3.5.6 12:40 15:35 VN 843 Daily 15:25 17:10
VN 842 Daily 18:05 19:45 VN 845 Daily 17:05 18:50
VN 844 Daily 19:45 21:25 VN 845 Daily 17:45 19:30
VN 800 Daily 21:00 22:40 VN 801 Daily 18:20 20:00
SIEMREAP-HOCHI MINHCITY HOCHI MINHCITY-SIEMREAP
VN 3818 Daily 11:10 12:30 VN 3809 Daily 09:15 10:35
VN 826 Daily 13:30 14:40 VN 827 Daily 11:35 12:35
VN 3820 Daily 17:45 18:45 VN 3821 Daily 15:55 16:55
VN 828 Daily 18:20 19:20 VN 829 Daily 16:20 17:40
VN 3822 Daily 21:35 22:35 VN 3823 Daily 19:45 20:45
SIEMREAP- INCHEON INCHEON- SIEMREAP
KE 688 Daily 23:15 06:10 KE 687 Daily 18:30 22:15
OZ 738 Daily 23:40 07:10 OZ 737 Daily 19:20 22:40
SIEMREAP- KUALALUMPUR KUALALUMPUR- SIEMREAP
AK 281 Daily 08:35 11:35 AK 280 Daily 06:50 07:50
MH 765 3.5.7 14:15 17:25 MH 764 3.5.7 12:10 13:15
SIEMREAP- MANILA MANILA- SIEMREAP
5J 258 2.4.7 22:30 02:11 5J 257 2.4.7 19:45 21:30
FLY DIRECT TOMYANMARMONDAY, WEDNESDAY &SATURDAY
YANGON- PHNOMPENH PHNOM PENH - YANGON
FLY DIRECT TOSIEMREAPMONDAY, WEDNESDAY &SATURDAY
SIEMREAP- YANGON YANGON - SIEM REAP
#90+92+94Eo, St. 217, Sk. Orussey4, Kh. 7 Makara, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Tel 023 881 178 | Fax 023 886 677 | www.maiair.com
REGULAR SHIPPING LINES SCHEDULES
CALLING PORT ROTATION
LINE CALLING SCHEDULES FREEQUENCY ROTATIONPORTS
RCL
(12calls/moth)
1 Wed, 08:00 - Thu 16:00 1 Call/week SIN-SHV-SGZ-SIN
2 Thu, 14:00 - Fri 22:00 1 Call/week
HKG-SHV-SGZ-HKG
(HPH-TXGKEL)
3 Fri, 20:00 - Sat 23:59 1 Call/week SIN-SHV-SGZ-SIN
MEARSK (MCC)
(4 calls/moth)
1 Th, 08:00 - 20:00 1 Call/week
SGN-SHV-LZP-SGN
- HKG-OSA-TYO-KOB
- BUS-SGH-YAT-SGN
- SIN-SHV-TPP-SIN
2 Fri, 22:00- Sun 00:01 1 Call/week
SITC (BEN LINE
(4 calls/onth)
Sun 09:00-23:00 1 Call/week
HCM-SHV-LZP-HCM-
NBO-SGH-OSA-KOB-
BUS-SGH-HGK-CHM
ITL (ACL)
(4 calls/month)
Sat 06:00 - Sun 08:00 1 Call/week SGZ-SHV-SIN-SGZ
APL
(4 calls/month)
Fri, 08:00 - Sun, 06:00 1 call/week SIN-SHV-SIN
COTS
(2 calls/month)
Irregula 2 calls/month BBK-SHV-BKK-(LZP)
34 call/month
BUS= Busan, Korea
HKG= HongKong
kao=Kaoshiung, Taiwan ROC
Kob= Kebe, Japan
KUN= Kuantan, Malaysia
LZP= Leam Chabang, Thailand
NBO= Ningbo, China
OSA= Osaka, Japan
SGN= Saigon, Vietnam
SGZ= Songkhla, Thailand
SHV= Sihanoukville Port Cambodia
SIN= Singapore
TPP= TanjungPelapas, Malaysia
TYO= Tokyo, Japan
TXG= Taichung, Taiwan
YAT= Yantian, China
YOK= Yokohama, Japan
AIRLINES
Air Asia (AK)
Room T6, PP International
Airport. Tel: 023 6666 555
Fax: 023 890 071
www.airasia.com
Cambodia Angkor Air (K6)
PP Ofce, #90+92+94Eo,
St.217, Sk.Orussey4, Kh.
7Makara, 023 881 178 /77-
718-333. Fax:+855 23-886-677
www.cambodiaangkorair.com
E: mai@royalaviationexpert.com
Qatar Airways (Newaddress)
VattanacCapital Tower, Level7,
No.66, PreahMonivongBlvd,
Sangkat wat Phnom, KhanDaun
Penh. PP, P: (023) 963800.
E: pnhres@kh.qatarairways.com
MyanmarAirwaysInternational
#90+92+94Eo, St. 217,
Sk. Orussey4, Kh. 7 Makara,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
T:023 881 178 | F:023 886 677
www.maiair.com
Dragon Air (KA)
#168, Monireth, PP
Tel: 023 424 300
Fax: 023 424 304
www.dragonair.com/kh
Tiger airways
G. oor, Regency square,
Suare, Suite #68/79, St.205,
Sk Chamkarmorn, PP
Tel: (855) 95 969 888
(855) 23 5515 888/5525888
E: info@cambodiaairlines.net

Koreanair (KE)
Room.F3-R03, Intelligent Ofce
Center, Monivong Blvd,PP
Tel: (855) 23 224 047-9
www.koreanair.com
Cebu Pacic (5J)
Phnom Penh: No. 333B
Monivong Blvd. Tel: 023 219161
SiemReap: No. 50,Sivatha Blvd.
Tel: 063 965487
E-mail: cebuair@ptm-travel.com
www.cebupacicair.com
SilkAir (MI)
Regency C,Unit 2-4, Tumnorb
Teuk, Chamkarmorn
Phnom Penh
Tel:023 988 629
www.silkair.com
AIRLINES CODE COLOUR CODE
2817 - 16 Tigerairways KA - Dragon Air 1 Monday
5J - CEBU Airways. MH - Malaysia Airlines 2 Tuesday
AK - Air Asia MI - SilkAir 3 Wednesday
BR - EVA Airways OZ - Asiana Airlines 4 Thursday
CI - China Airlines PG - Bangkok Airways 5 Friday
CZ - China Southern QR - Qatar Airways 6 Saturday
FD - Thai Air Asia QV - Lao Airlines 7 Sunday
FM - Shanghai Air SQ - Singapore Airlines
K6- Cambodia Angkor Air TG - Thai Airways | VN - Vietnam Airlines
This ight schedule information is updated about once a month. Further information,
please contact direct to airline or a travel agent for ight schedule information.
SIEMREAP- SINGAPORE SINGAPORE- SIEMREAP
MI 633 1, 6, 7 16:35 22:15 MI 633 1, 6, 7 14:35 15:45
MI 622 2.4 10:40 15:20 MI 622 2.4 08:40 09:50
MI 630 5 12:25 15:40 MI 616 7 10:40 11:50
MI 615 7 12:45 16:05 MI 636 3, 2 13:55 17:40
MI 636 3, 2 18:30 21:35 MI 630 5 07:55 11:35
MI 617 5 18:35 21:55 MI 618 5 16:35 17:45
3K 598 .2....7 15:35 18:40 3K 597 .2....7 13:45 14:50
3K 598 ...4... 15:35 18:30 3K 597 ...4... 13:45 14:50
SIEMREAP- VIENTIANE VIENTIANE- SIEMREAP
QV 522 2.4.5.7 10:05 13:00 QV 512 2.4.5.7 06:30 09:25
SIEMREAP- YANGON YANGON- SIEMREAP
8M 402 1. 5 20:15 21:25 8M 401 1. 5 17:05 19:15
PREAHSIHANOUK- SIEMREAP SIEMREAP- PREAHSIHANOUK
K6 130 1-3-5 12:55 13:55 K6 131 1-3-5 11:20 12:20
The Magdalen Great Tower, obscured by the vegetation in the heart of
the University of Oxford Botanic Garden. PHOTO SUPPLIED
A spectacular
garden tour in
city of Oxford
Frances Stead Sellers

O
UR guide pauses be-
tween the giant rhu-
barb plant and the
white mulberry tree
to draw attention to the vir-
tues of the stinging nettle a
weed, as he says, in anybody
elses garden, but nurtured
here. Its a nutritious vegetable
that tastes a bit like spinach.
Its ber resembles linen, and it
produces a ne yellow dye.
This is no ordinary garden
tour, because this is no ordi-
nary garden. The University
of Oxfords Botanic Garden,
Britains oldest, was founded
almost 400 years ago, when
the rst Earl of Danby donated
5,000 ($8,300) to start a phys-
ic garden, producing plants
to support medical practice.
One original tree survives an
English yew, a tree that is the
source of drugs used to treat
breast and ovarian cancer.
The gardens ongoing commit-
ment to science is balanced by
the sheer aesthetic pleasures of
a place thats home to more than
5,000 plant species on about
only 20,000 square metres of
land, making it one of the most
biodiverse places on Earth.
The true focus are the rect-
angular family beds laid out
within the 17th-century gar-
den walls, where plants are
grouped according to their
botanical family, geographi-
cal origin or uses, including
contemporary clinical medi-
cine, where labels refer to the
organ or symptom they treat,
from lung cancer (Himalayan
mayapple) to heart arrhyth-
mias (foxglove).
Stroll across the lawns, or
read a book on one of the
curved wooden benches
around the central fountain,
and youll nd other people
doing just that. You can choose
an audio tour, narrated by the
gardeners as well as author
Philip Pullman, who set part of
the His Dark Materials trilogy
here, and borrow a backpack
of activities for children.
Or you can book a guided
tour, as I did on an early-sum-
mer Saturday, when Stephen
Harris, curator of the univer-
sitys preserved plant collec-
tions, introduced a group of
about 10 of us to the wonders
of wisteria owers and the
mystique of the white mulber-
ry, the silkworms soul food.
Harris talks about their im-
pact on human civilisation:
about the complex chemis-
try involved, for example, in
extracting the blue woad dye
that the Celtic warrior Queen
Boadicea favoured from the
yellow-owering plant; and
about the economic upheaval
of the mid-19th century, when
a mulberry-growing frenzy
consumed North America, re-
sulting in nancial disaster for
silk magnates.
And he explains the chang-
ing logic of the plantings: In the
past, plants were classied ac-
cording to their shapes. More
recently, DNA has revealed
their evolutionary relation-
ships, and that has led to some
surprising shifts in the ower
beds. The garden has just em-
barked on an ambitious multi-
year project to dig up and rear-
range plants according to the
latest molecular ndings.
This little oasis is in central
Oxford, across the road from
Magdalen Colleges famous
and stunning 15th-century
tower. For a botanist like Har-
ris, this is hallowed ground,
shaped, quite literally, by
the ideas of such great plant
scientists of the past as Carl
Linnaeus. Harris still teach-
es university students here
but spends most of his time
among the dried plants in the
universitys herbaria.
Its something of a nov-
elty, he explains to the tour
group, to be out among liv-
ing things. Hes referring to
the plants, of course, not the
people. THE WASHINGTON POST
Entertainment
20
Thinking caps
ACROSS
1 Salomes royal audience
6 Capture
11 No longer is
14 Catlike
15 Bermuda or Vidalia
16 Halloween mo.
17 Rustic hobby
19 Miners find
20 Bank contents
21 More benevolent
23 Northbound, on most maps
26 Like Columbus, by birth
27 Icelandic coins
28 Up-to-date
29 Breath contents
30 Purple Heart, e.g.
32 Cordage fiber
35 Aria, e.g.
37 Alarm clock, at times
39 Cathedral recess
40 Create, as a scholarship
42 Chart anew
44 Mozarts L___ del Cairo
45 Tremble with cold or fear
47 Wide to the right!
49 Fast driver
51 Dracula and Basie
52 Police line
53 Key material
55 Rhyming boxing champ
56 Placesof marvels, in fantasies
61 Deception
62 Banana oil, e.g.
63 Battery part
64 ___ and donts
65 Back-to-health program, briefly
66 Fritter away
DOWN
1 Hee ___
2 I problem
3 Copacabana site
4 The ___ and the Sea
5 Good form
6 Achy
7 Deadly sin
8 Three, on sundials
9 Spaced out
10 They might backfire
11 It may help stir the batter
12 Farm measures
13 About 1.3 cubic yards
18 President Jackson
22 Bucket wheel used for irrigation
23 Authoritative proclamation
24 Petrel bird with saw-toothed bills
25 Baseball championship
26 Artificial human of Jewish
folklore
28 Creator
31 Risk taker
33 English race place
34 Investigation aids
36 ___ and aahed
38 Ill will
41 Surviving spouse
43 Relief measure of Elizabethan
times
46 Veinlike
48 Neighbor of Brazil
49 Bring to a near-boil
50 Salks conquest
53 I had no ___!
54 Sentence part
57 Advanced degree?
58 Discouraging words
59 Banned bug-killer
60 Comprende?
CLEAN THAT UP!
Wednesdays solution Wednesdays solution
LEGEND CINEMA
A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST
As a cowardly farmer begins to fall for the mysterious
new woman in town, he must put his newfound
courage to the test when her husband, a notorious
gun-slinger, announces his arrival.
City Mall: 11:45am, 9:45pm
Tuol Kork: 5pm
DRAFT DAY
At the NFL Draft, general manager Sonny Weaver has
the opportunity to rebuild his team when he trades
for the number one pick. He must decide what hes
willing to sacrifice on a life-changing day for a few
hundred young men with NFL dreams.
City Mall: 5:10pm
Tuol Kork: 10:05pm
EDGE OF TOMORROW
An officer finds himself caught in a time loop in a war
with an alien race. His skills increase as he faces the
same brutal combat scenarios, and his union with a
Special Forces warrior gets him closer and closer to
defeating the enemy.
City Mall: 9:25am, 2:50pm, 7:25pm, 9:45pm
Tuol Kork: 12:10pm, 2:30pm, 7:25pm, 9:55pm
GODZILLA
The worlds most famous monster is pitted against
malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanitys
scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence.
City Mall: 12:20pm
Tuol Kork: 9:30am
PLATINUM CINEPLEX
EDGE OF TOMORROW
(See above.)
9:30am, 11:35am, 1:10pm, 2pm, 4:10pm, 6:20pm,
8:25pm
MALEFICENT
A vengeful fairy is driven to curse an infant princess,
only to discover that the child may be the one
person who can restore peace to their troubled land.
Starring Angelina Jolie.
9:20am, 11:15am, 1pm, 2:50pm, 4:45pm, 6:40pm,
8:35pm
NOW SHOWING
Chat @ 12 Tables
Twelve Tables Multicultural Chat is an
event made up of group of people from
all over the world who come together
every Thursday with a similar purpose
to learn from each other.
Kampuchea Krom and Street 109. 7pm
Film @ Meta House
The documentary Hunted in Russia (2014,
48 min) explores the terror that gay
people in Russia are calling the hunting
season. This shocking lm oers unique
access to vigilante groups that track down,
beat up and humiliate gay men and
women. Followed by Pussy Riot - A Punk
Prayer (2013) which tells the incredible
story of three young women: Nadia,
Masha and Katia.
Meta House, #37 Sothearos Boulevard.
7pm
Jazz @ Raes Le Royal
An intimate evening for jazz fans. Martin
Jacobsen returns with his trio to Phnom
Penh after his mini-tour of the city last
year. Hes in town for a one-night-only
performance at Raes Le Royals
Ballroom.
Raes Hotel Le Royal, #92 Rukhak
Vithei. 7:30pm
TV PICKS
11am - FRIENDS WITH KIDS: Two best friends decide to
have a child together while keeping their relationship
platonic, so they can avoid the toll kids can take on
romantic relationships. FOX MOVIES
4:25pm - JAVA HEAT: A Muslim detective teams with
an American posing as a graduate student to find the
man behind a series of deadly terrorist bombings in
Indonesia. FOX MOVIES
6:10pm - THE LAST STAND: The leader of a drug cartel
busts out of a courthouse and speeds to the Mexican
border, where the only thing in his path is a sheriff and
his inexperienced staff. FOX MOVIES
8pm - THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY: A
reluctant hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely
Mountain with a spirited group of dwarves to reclaim
their mountain home and the gold within it from the
dragon Smaug. FOX MOVIES
A policeman detains gay rights activists in central Moscow. Two lms at Meta House tonight discuss the issue. AFP
Martin Freeman stars as Bilbo Baggins in The
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. BLOOMBERG
Gig @ Chenla Theatre
Led by singer Lucas, the trio Dissonant
Nation has lined up a frenzied rock
performance with cleverly arranged
rhythms.
Chenla Theatre, corner Mao Tse Toung
and Monireth boulevards. 7pm
Vehicle thefts up this year at
National Sports Complex
VISITORS to the Olympic Stadium have
been hit by a raft of motorbike and
bicycle thefts this year, according to
sports officials who work in the
grounds. An employee at the National
Sports Complex for over 40 years, who
spoke to the Post on condition of
anonymity, said the problem was not a
new issue, but that cases of theft had
increased significantly since the
beginning of 2014. Ive never seen [so
many cases] before, he said, while
hinting that robbers were not from far
away but living locally. A Post sports
reporter, who also declined to be
named, recently had his black Honda
Wave motorbike stolen when he was
conducting a ten-minute interview with
the general secretary of the Cambodian
Table Tennis Federation at their head
office. An official of the Football
Federation of Cambodia also fell victim
to motorbike thieves during a Metfone
C-League game on May 31. Education,
Youth and Sport Minister Ouk
Sethycheat told the Post that robberies
occurred due to incorrect parking by
individuals. Weve got a ticketed
parking lot, but probably vehicle owners
mind spending 500 to 1,000 riel
[US$0.12 to $0.25] for parking. Its hard
to control these situations, he said.
CHHORNNORN, TRANSLATEDBY CHENGSERYRITH
Froome defends inhaler use
as Arndt wins third stage
RACE leader Chris Froome defended
his use of an inhaler as Germanys
Nikias Arndt won a sprint finish to
claim the third stage of the Criterium
du Dauphine on Tuesday. AFP
Sport
21
Australia bids farewell to their
national treasure Brabham
FLAGS flew at half mast as
hundreds of mourners gath-
ered yesterday to bid farewell
to Formula One great Sir Jack
Brabham at a state funeral
where he was revered as a
national treasure.
Brabham, who claimed three
world drivers titles and
remains the only man to win
the championship in a car he
built himself, died last month
aged 88 from cancer.
His funeral on Australias
Gold Coast was delayed
because of the racing commit-
ments of his grandsons Sam
and Matthew.
Dad would have got out of
his coffin and kicked their arse
if they missed a couple of
matches for him, his son
Geoffrey explained.
The Australian is acclaimed
as one of the sports most
influential figures with the
technological innovations
brought about by the team he
created helping shape For-
mula One.
He was the first driver to be
knighted for services to motor-
sport and the Australian Grand
Prix winners trophy was this
week renamed in his honour.
He was a legend and a giant
not only in motor racing but in
all Australian sport, added
son Geoffrey, the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation
reported.
Australian Grand Prix chief
executive Andrew Westacott
called him a national treasure
who just took on the world
and won while in a message
Prime Minister Tony Abbott
hailed his have-a-go spirit.
Brabham was laid to rest in a
coffin adorned with a steering
wheel, a helmet and draped in
a black and white racing flag.
In a statement on Tuesday,
his wife Lady Brabham said
she had been overwhelmed by
the tributes that had poured in
from around the globe.
It has been comforting to
hear kind words from the likes
of Jean Todt, Sir Stirling Moss,
Sir Jackie Stewart to Alan Jones.
Jack would have been so very
proud, she said. AFP
A chequered ag drapes over the cofn of Formula One great Sir Jack Brabham during his state funeral
service at Southport Church of Christ on the Gold Coast yesterday. AFP
Spurs hammer the Heat
K
AWHI Leonard tallied
a playoff career high 29
points as the San Antonio
Spurs routed the Miami
Heat 111-92 in game three of the
NBA nals on Tuesday.
Tim Duncan nished with 14 points
and six rebounds while Danny Green
scored 15 points for the Spurs, who
jumped out to a 25-point lead in the
rst half then held on for the victory
and a 2-1 series lead.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said
he was looking for more offence from
Leonard, who was hindered by foul
trouble earlier in the series.
We just wanted him to be who he
has been the whole year, Popovich
said. I think he overreacted to the
foul situations in the rst two games
and he became very cautious and he
doesnt play like that.
He has got to be active at both
ends, so he gured it out.
The rst half was an old-fashioned
shootout as San Antonio put on the
best shooting display for a half in
NBA nals history, hitting 19 of their
rst 21 shots.
The two-time defending champions
Heat cut the decit to seven points at
one stage in the second half but they
never could recover from the Spurs
opening blitz that saw San Antonio
shoot a superb 75.8 per cent from the
eld to lead 71-50 at halftime.
Game four of the best-of-seven se-
ries will be tonight in Miami.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade
pumped in 22 points each for the
Heat, who suffered their rst home
loss of the 2014 post-season after
winning eight straight playoff games
at home going back to last season.
Rashard Lewis nished with 14
points and Ray Allen came off the
bench to score 11 in the loss.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said his
troops dug themselves too big a hole
in the rst half to overcome. They
won the battle clearly tonight, said
Spoelstra. We came out at a differ-
ent gear than what we were playing.
It just seemed we were on our heels
most of the rst half.
Miami lost the nals in 2011 then
won back-to-back titles in 2012 and
last season when they beat the
Spurs in seven games.
This is the rst NBA nals rematch
since the Chicago Bulls battled the
Utah Jazz in 1997 and 1998.
Tuesdays contest was reminis-
cent of last years game three of the
NBA nals.
San Antonio bounced back in
game three, setting the nals record
for most three-pointers in a game
with 16. They went on to win 113-77,
handing the Heat their worst loss in
franchise playoff history. AFP
Tim Duncan (right) of the San Antonio Spurs backs down Chris Andersen of the Miami Heat during game three of their play-off series. AFP
World Cup
Returning Ronaldo
leads Portugal to win
CRISTIANO Ronaldo had a
hand in a goal and hit a post on
his return as Portugal
concluded their World Cup
preparations with a 5-1 romp
over the Republic of Ireland on
Tuesday. The Real Madrid
striker, who missed his
countrys previous two warm-
up games because of thigh and
knee injuries, was not at his
brilliant best for long periods of
a one-sided friendly in the
United States. But coach Paulo
Bento was just relieved to see
his captain and talisman back
after an injury layoff that had
sparked fears that Ronaldo
might not be fit for Brazil. AFP
FA chairman Dyke calls
on Blatter to step down
THE Football Association
chairman, Greg Dyke, has
warned Sepp Blatter that an
attack on the racist British
media over Qatar 2022
corruption allegations was
totally unacceptable and
backed calls for FIFAs president
to stand down. In a coordinated
attempt to derail Blatters plans
to stand for another four years
as president of the embattled
world governing body, UEFA
members including Dyke took
on the 78-year-old head on. Mr
Blatter, many of us are deeply
troubled by your reaction to
these allegations, the FA
chairman told him. It is time for
Fifa to stop attacking the
messenger and instead
consider, and understand, the
message. THEGUARDIAN
Leaner volumes in Asian
stocks during World Cup
PUNTS on the World Cup
rather than on financial
instruments will kick into high
gear over the next month as
bleary-eyed traders in football-
mad Asia tune into the
tournament in Brazil, a dozen
time zones away. Spread-
betting on the 64 matches,
tournament-related corporate
events and the challenging time
difference look set to make for
subdued trading on several
Asian markets, observers said,
pointing to a huge drop in
volumes during the 2010 South
Africa World Cup. "When they
[traders and investors] get
involved in following the World
Cup, they have no time to
monitor the stocks and shares,"
said Jimmy Ho, president of the
Society of Remisiers in
Singapore. "Generally, the
whole industry is affected every
four years." AFP
Suarez close to full
fitness for World Cup
LUIS Suarez is putting himself
through triple shifts in
training in an effort to prove
his fitness for the World Cup.
The Liverpool striker had
keyhole surgery on his knee
last month prompting fears he
could miss a large part of the
tournament. However, the
forward looked sharp in
training on Tuesday as he took
part in fitness drills and some
ball work. The coach Oscar
Tabarez has played down
hopes of a quick return to the
team, meaning Saturdays
opener against Costa Rica may
come too soon. But Suarez
should be fit enough to play an
important role in the other
Group D games against
England and Italy. THE GUARDIAN
World Cup bonuses cause a
stir from Spain to Cameroon
F
ROM Cameroons players re-
fusing to board their plane for
Brazil to Spains massive of-
fer, World Cup bonuses have
already caused a stir before a ball has
been kicked in anger.
As ever it was an African country,
this time Cameroon, who kicked up
the rst fuss over bonuses.
In 2006 it was Togo while last time
out in South Africa it was again Cam-
eroon whose players threatened to
go on strike.
This time Samuel Etoo and his
teammates initially refused to board
their plane for Brazil on Sunday un-
happy at the amount offered them by
the government.
An offer of 76,000 (US$102,900) per
man was rejected before the players
eventually accepted that amount plus
6 per cent of the revenue generated by
their federation at the World Cup.
Even if they are eliminated in the
group stages they stand to earn a min-
imum of $21,000 extra each.
Quibbling over such sums is a far
cry from the extravagant offer dangled
out in front of Spains reigning world
and European champions.
They stand to earn a staggering
720,000 each should they lift the
trophy for the second time in suc-
cession, but less impressive perfor-
mances would result in drastically
reduced earnings.
Their bonuses, like those for Ger-
many, only kick in at the quarter-nal
stage, where Spanish players would
receive 60,000 compared to 50,000
for the Germans.
Thereafter, however, the Spanish
bonuses start to accelerate away, with
Germanys players only set to earn
300,000 a man if they win.
Hosts Brazil are also in line for a
bumper payday, with squad mem-
bers reported to earn around 1 mil-
lion reais (US$448,000) if they go all
the way in the tournament.
Those may seem astronomical sums
but they must be taken into consid-
eration alongside the fact that FIFA
will give $35 million to the winning
federation, $25 million to the runners
up with the two losing semi-nalists
gaining $22 million and $20 million
depending on whether they win or
lose the third-placed play-off.
Spains massive bonuses should
also be considered alongside the
600,000 they earned for winning
Euro 2012 the World Cup is a big-
ger, more prestigious competition
that generates far more money.
While the likes of Germany and Spain
set out what their players will earn de-
pending on what stage of the compe-
tition they reach, for others, such as
Cameroon, bonuses are tied to simply
being a part of the squad that turns up.
Australias players have also been of-
fered a simple fee for making the World
Cup of A$200,000 (US$187,000) each.
This is signicantly more than what
the US players have been offered, just
$76,000 per man. However, they could
expect something more interesting
in the event of an unlikely World Cup
triumph given they had been offered
almost $900,000 each to win the last
edition in South Africa.
Bonuses in any case have somewhat
plateaued since accelerating in recent
years, albeit only slightly.
Germanys offer, their joint biggest
ever, only matches what they were
promised for winning the competition
on home soil eight years ago.
That went down to 250,000 in South
Africa but even so, these are gures
that dwarf the amounts given to previ-
ous German World Cup winners.
In 1954 the German Football Fed-
eration (DFB) gave each player 1,250
plus a television set while 20 years later
captain Franz Beckenbauers squad got
30,000 each and a car.
When Der Kaiser was coach in
1990, his squad got 65,000 each.
Not all countries have revealed their
bonuses, such as South Korea and
Russia who simply stated it will de-
pend on results.
Press reports in England claim
their players will receive 350,000
(US $587,000) to win, although there
has been no ofcial conrmation of
that gure.
However, sometimes players stand
to gain more than just money, as in
the case of the German players in
1954 and 1974.
In 2002, South Koreas squad who
reached the semi-nals on home soil
were exempted from military service.
While players usually ght for big-
ger bonuses, sometimes they do the
opposite.
Frances entire 2010 World Cup squad
agreed to give up the bonuses due to
them, around 110,000 each, after the
debacle of their group stage exit.
The monies were due to be split be-
tween each players formation club and
a donation to amateur football. AFP
Spanish players stand to earn a staggering 720,000 each should they successfully
manage to lift the World Cup trophy again this summer. AFP
Brazil desperate to make mark in opener
BRAZIL are desperate to make
a powerful statement of intent
in tonights World Cup opener
against Croatia as they seek to
relieve the suffocating pres-
sure that has engulfed the
team in the build-up to the
tournament.
Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari
has the luxury of being able to
field the same team that
destroyed world champions
Spain 3-0 in the final of last
years Confederations Cup,
with Barcelona star Neymar
the focal point of a powerful
and settled line-up.
The five-time champions
are expected to qualify from
their group without too much
trouble but Barcelona defend-
er Dani Alves admitted there
was anxiety ahead of the Sao
Paulo opener, as they seek to
ease the jitters.
I have always said that if
you dont feel anxiety it is not
worth being a professional
athlete. The opening game is
difficult, important, said
full-back Alves.
The three points count but
so does the idea of sending
out a message to our rivals.
The most important game at
the World Cup, for everyone,
is the opening game.
He added: We will only
know on Thursday if every-
thing is OK. We are very con-
f ident and we want this
moment to come. We want to
enjoy the World Cup. We are
going to try to give a good
image.
The only question mark for
tournament favourites Brazil
for the match at the new Cor-
inthians Arena would appear
to be over the out-of-sorts
Oscar, with his impressive
Chelsea team-mate Willian
pushing for a starting berth.
But Scolari, who master-
minded Brazils last World
Cup win in 2002, is likely to
stick with his tried-and-tested
winning formula against 18th-
ranked Croatia after the same
11 edged past Serbia 1-0 in a
friendly last week, courtesy of
a goal from Fred.
Brazilian reserve striker Jo,
speaking after training on
Tuesday, said the mood in the
camp was calm but the nerves
would be jangling as kick-off
approached.
At this moment, everyone
is calm, said the striker.
When we go to Sao Paulo and
the game approaches, there
will be excitement, anxiety.
But the opening of the World
Cup in our country will be dif-
ferent to others.
And squad member Ber-
nard said it was crucial to
start the tournament with a
win as Brazil chase their first
World Cup tournament win
on home soil.
There are no easy games
and the game against Serbia
was very complicated, said
the winger. They are quite a
well-balanced side. I think
the game against Croatia will
be similar. Its important to
be focused on the opening
game, we need to start off
with three points.
Croatia will be missing Bay-
ern Munich striker Mario
Mandzukic because of a red
card he picked up in a match
against Iceland in November.
But they also boast Real
Madrids Luka Modric in their
line-up, who said the key to
the game would be the mid-
field battle, admitting the task
of taking on Brazil in their
own backyard was daunting.
Virtually every game is
decided in the midfield. In
most situations the winner is
the team that has the better
midfield, said Modric.
I hope that we can show
our qualities and can beat
Brazil. But this will of course
be very difficult.
The match, which kicks off
at 3am Cambodian time, will
be played in the 61,600-ca-
pacity Corinthians Arena,
which was delayed by acci-
dents in which three workers
were killed. AFP
Brazil's Neymar is one of the focal points of the World Cup host nation's
team in their opener against Croatia tonight. AFP
Football
23
U14 girls take a hiding
at the hands of hosts
CAMBODIA were thrashed 8-0
by hosts Vietnam at the Thong
Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh
City on Monday in their
opening fixture of the AFC U14
Girls Regional Championship,
which runs until Sunday.
Cambodia were to face
Singapore yesterday afternoon
and play the Philippines at
3pm today in the remainder of
their Group A games. DAN RILEY
FFC to host national
youth competitions
THE Football Federation of
Cambodia have announced the
run its U15 and U17 National
Youth Championships from
August 10 to December 28, the
FFC has announced. Ten
teams from either Metfone
C-League clubs or clubs
supported or invited by the FFC
will be allowed to enter each
competition, with registration
deadline set at June 30. U15
matches of 35 minutes each
way will be played every Sunday
at the National Physical and
Sport Institute located along
National Highway 6A, while U17
matches lasting 90 minutes
will be contested on the Lah
Salakhan pitch at the same
facility. The FFC also
announced an U13 tournament
to be held between July 3 and
13 at the National Football
Centre in Tonle Bati district of
Takeo province. 32 clubs from
across the Kingdom will
participate in games of 60
minutes. CHENGSERYRITH
Beckhams second MLS
stadium site rejected
DAVID Beckham suffered
another setback in his bid to
bring a Major League Soccer
franchise to Miami on Tuesday
as a second proposed stadium
site was rejected. The former
Manchester United idol and
England captain originally
wanted to build a US$250
million state-of-the-art open-
air stadium with 25,000 seats
for his recently acquired MLS
club at Port Miami, with
spectacular sweeping views of
Biscayne Bay and downtown
Miami. Opposition from
shipping interests and local
authorities scuppered that
plan, with Beckham proposing
an alternative waterfront site
at a pier in congested
downtown Miami, next to the
American Airlines Arena
where the Miami Heat
basketball team plays. But the
second option has also run
into opposition. AFP
Lahm, Muller extend
their Bayern contracts
PHILIPP Lahm and Thomas
Muller have signed two-year
extensions to their Bayern
Munich contracts, the Bavarian
giants announced on the eve of
the World Cup yesterday. Both
are currently preparing for
Germanys opening World Cup
match against Portugal on
Monday in Group G which also
includes Ghana and the United
States. Lahm, who joined
Bayerns junior side in 1995, will
remain until 2018 while Mullers
deal runs until 2019. Both the
club and my representatives felt
it was the right time to discuss a
contract extension, said Lahm,
who will be 34 when his new
deal runs out. It will definitely
be my last contract. I will end
my career with FC Bayern. AFP
Studs up
Svay Riengs Moung Makara (right) and Albirex Niigatas Chan Pech Chealy contest a high ball during their Metfone C-League match at the Olympic Stadium yesterday. Reigning
champions Svay Rieng won the tie 3-0 via goals from Nob Tola, Dzarma Bata and Seuy Visal to jump up two places to seventh in the standings. SRENG MENG SRUN
Cellcard offer more ways to
win in new Fantasy League
Dan Riley

T
HE sixth edition of the Cell-
card Fantasy League, which is
scheduled to kick off on Au-
gust 16, will see more manag-
ers collecting prizes than ever before.
Mobile phone operators Cellcard
have conrmed they will offer An-
droid smart phones to each of the top
three teams at both the half way stage
(end of gameweek 19) and at the con-
clusion of the season.
An Alcatel C9 model will be awarded
to the two rst placed sides, an Alcatel
Mini to second placers and an Alcatel
C5 to thirds. Each winner will also re-
ceive a US$60 SIM card, while fourth
and fth place nishers get the SIM
card as well.
A $20 phone voucher will again be
presented to champions of each of
the 38 gameweeks under the previous
years rules and conditions.
Team names, manager names, real
names, phone numbers and occupa-
tion details must be registered by email
to dan.riley@phnompenhpost.com.
Existing teams need only update any
changes to their team/manager name
or phone number.
In the case of a tie in points total dur-
ing a gameweek, the manager with
the least transfers that week will be
awarded the prize. If the transfers are
the same, the prize will be split into
two $10 vouchers.
A maximum of four transfers per
gameweek is permitted, regardless of
wildcards, to be eligible for prizes.
Individuals can register as many
teams as they want as long as a differ-
ent phone number is given for each
side. However, managing multiple
teams in the hope of a greater chance
of success is discouraged and against
the spirit of competition.
Managers without a Cambodian
phone number, such as those living
overseas, may donate their prizes to a
person of their choice by providing the
benefactors phone number on regis-
tration. Any foreign teams that do not
register will be deleted from the table
after a week of warning.
For the second successive season, a
weekly competition will also be held
on the Cellcard Fantasy facebook
fanpage. Questions will be posed for
each corresponding Fantasy League
round, with a $10 phone voucher prize
at stake. Users must like the fanpage
to be eligible for prizes.
With the 2014 World Cup kicking off
today, Cellcard services now include
SMS updates on the tournament in
Brazil. These include news, facts, his-
tory of World Cup and more, according
to Cellcard ofcials. Cellcard users can
subscribe by dialing #2014#1#, with a
$0.25 per week charge applicable.
Live scores for the entire month-long
tournament is also available for $0.50
by dialing #2014#3#.
Cellcards Guess The Winner pro-
motion is also being launched, which
will see tactical texters given the
chance to win prizes for correct result
predictions.
Guesses are cast by texting the match
number followed by either A for team A
winning, B for team B winning or C for
a draw to 2014. For instance for Match
8 between England and Italy on Satur-
day night, you can choose Italy to win
by texting 8B to 2014.
Check our World Cup wallchart
inserted in todays paper for match
numbers.
You can also dial 2014 and follow
the instructions. Each guess will be
charged at $0.10.
Prizes include an Alcatel Mini phone
and gold number worth $60, an Alcatel
C1, 10 gold numbers and 10 $5 phone
vouchers during the group stage. The
nal on July 13 will see two chances to
win $5,000 in cash.
Entrance to a lucky draw and World
Cup live streaming services can be
found through the ofcial Cellcard
website (www.cellcard.com.kh).
Mobile operators Cellcard will offer a total of six phones for Fantasy League winners. AFP
Sport
Pinehurst set to test the best
P
UNISHING Pinehurst will
challenge the worlds top
golfers with lightning-fast
greens, towering pines and
formidable sand and brush run-off
areas when the 114th US Open tees
off today.
Masters champion Bubba Wat-
son, who won his second green
jacket in three seasons just two
months ago, plans to back off his
long-driving ways for a better
chance to hold Pinehursts wide
but rock-hard fairways.
A US Open brings out challenges
that were not used to, challenges
that we can only take once a year,
Watson said. We would all nd new
jobs if we had to do it every week.
Reigning British Open champion
Phil Mickelson, a six-time US Open
runner-up, is trying to complete a
career grand slam ahead of his 44th
birthday next Monday.
I dont want to put the pressure on
that this is the only week Ill have a
chance, Mickelson said. I think
Ill have a number of great oppor-
tunities in the future years. But
this is certainly as good a chance
as Ill have.
The formidable nature of the
7,565-yard (6917-metre) layout is
partly due to a 2011 renovation to
return native brush and sand to
the North Carolina course.
We call it weeds where I grew up,
Watson said. This one I just feel like
I should play a little bit safer off the
tees and let my irons hopefully help
me going into some of these greens.
The greens are very unfriendly, so
the challenge is how are you going
to stay the course.
Both Watson and Mickelson
dubbed Pinehurst a fair test, Mickel-
son calling it the best test Ive seen
to identify the best player.
This place is awesome, Mickel-
son said. It forces you to make de-
cisions, to choose the right club off
the tee, hit solid iron shots into the
green and utilise your short game to
save strokes.
Mickelson likes Watsons chances,
recalling the playoff hook shot he
hit from among pine trees to win the
2012 Masters.
This is going to provide some
exciting recovery shots, Mickelson
said. I think he can hit a lot of those
shots around here and it could be
really exciting.
You could be turning bogeys into
birdies. Youll be making some dou-
ble [bogeys] along the way too be-
cause this golf course is just tough.
World number one Adam Scott
is among the favourites, the 2013
Masters winner from Australia
playing his first major event since
dethroning still-injured Tiger
Woods from the top spot.
Aussie Jason Day, the 2011 and
2013 US Open runner-up, stressed
the mental test as well as the phys-
ical one.
This is a true test of golf, not
only mentally, not only physically,
but just to show what youve got,
Day said.
If you can mentally stay patient
and just keep yourself in the ght
until its all over, you have a shot at
winning. Im not going to give up
this week. Im going to keep ghting
until its over and hopefully thats
good enough.
Players will be aiming for tiny tar-
get areas on turtle-backed greens
where the ball will hold and not roll
or ricochet off. The difference be-
tween a birdie chance and watching
a ball roll into trouble or bound over
a green is small.
You have to have a very sharp
short game, Day said. The biggest
thing although it sounds easy, its
easier said than done is to get to
the middle of the greens.
You can go from one side of the
green to the other side pretty quick.
Even if you do leave yourself in
a pretty easy spot to get up-and-
down, its still difcult.
Thongchai seeks breakthrough
Asian Tour legend Thongchai Jaid-
ee steps into his fourth US Open ap-
pearance this week eager to nally
stamp his mark on the Majors stage.
The decorated Thai star, the only
man to win three Asian Tour Order of
Merit crowns, arrived at Pinehurst No
2 with his condence sky-high after
securing a playoff victory at the Nor-
dea Masters over Frenchman Victor
Dubuisson and Scotsman Stephen
Gallacher in Sweden two weeks ago.
His second triumph on European
soil was the perfect preparation
ahead of the years second Major for
the 44-year-old, who is determined
to cement his place in golng folklore
following an illustrious career which
has seen him win 13 Asian Tour titles.
A return to the US Open also brings
back fond memories for Thongchai
as he made his Major debut at the
event back in 2001, the same year he
became Asias number one for the
rst time.
It was good to win [in Sweden].
It was a special week, said Thong-
chai, the rst man to hit $5 million
in career earnings on the Asian Tour
earlier this season.
I will try my best for a good week.
All you need is a good week to win.
You never know in golf who will win.
When we tee up now, we feel we have
a chance like everyone else to win
any tournament, added the world
number 37. AFP / THE ASIAN TOUR
Bubba Watson hits a shot from a bunker during a practice round on Tuesday prior to todays start of the 114th US Open at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in North Carolina. AFP
Tokyo reviews cost, impact of 2020 Games venues
TOKYO is putting its planned
venues for the 2020 Olympics
under a microscope due to
surging construction costs and
environmental concerns, the
megacitys top official said.
The estimated bill for 10 new
sports facilities and the reno-
vation of two existing build-
ings is now running at more
than twice the original $1.5 bil-
lion cost.
The centrepiece of the Games
a new stadium has also
come under fire for its price tag
and fears its futuristic design
would be an eyesore in one of
the citys few greenbelts.
Yoichi Masuzoe, governor of
the sprawling metropolis, said
officials would re-examine the
venue building plan to help
Tokyoites better understand
the blueprint.
We need to examine with
realistic thinking what kind of
legacy these plans would leave
after the Olympics, he said in
comments to the citys assem-
bly Tuesday which were later
posted on its website.
And we have to take into
account concerns over the
surging costs of preparing for
the Games, such as rising mate-
rial and labour expenses.
The Olympics and Paralym-
pics are not only the worlds
largest athletic competition,
but theyre big events that bring
big changes for the people and
culture of the host city.
Tokyos labour market is
tightening with the shrinking
pool of skilled labourers push-
ing up wages while a sharply
weaker yen has made imported
building materials pricier.
Among the environmental
concerns is a venue for the
canoe slalom event that con-
servationists say could threaten
wild animals including endan-
gered species.
Tokyos organising commit-
tee for the Games said it would
hold an adjustment meeting
on Thursday with the top city
politician and head of the
Japanese Olympic Commit-
tee, Tsunekazu Takeda, in
attendance.
Masuzoe was vague on
whether the new Olympic sta-
dium to be funded by the
national government would
be part of the sweeping review,
but said it would continue
studying the impact on local
parks and roadways.
A coalition of prominent
architects and civil society
groups has lashed out at the
stadiums design and costs,
which had ballooned to about
$3 billion before officials scaled
back the buildings size.
The national government
says the showpiece venue
would now cost about $1.6 bil-
lion, but critics have scoffed at
the price cut and say it would
likely end up going way over
budget. AFP

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