GOVERNMENT officials expressed renewed hope for a resolution of border disputes with Thailand following an announcement Thursday by the newly elected Thai prime minister that the two sides would resume negotiations.
"We welcome this good news, and it signals a potential end to the conflict," said Phay Siphan, spokesman for Cambodia's Council of Ministers. "It is good that Thailand is ready to talk."
Somchai Wongsawat, who was named Thai prime minister earlier this week, said he looked forward to more peaceful relations between the two countries.
"I'm ready to talk with Prime Minister Hun Sen," he told reporters at Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Somchai added he expected Thai and Cambodian delegates to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York next week.
"If the Thai government really intends to negotiate ... we will try our best to solve our problems," said Nuth Sa An, secretary of state at the Ministry of Interior. "But I am concerned because they are always under pressure by the opposition party," he said.
Koy Koung, undersecretary of state for Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said he was not aware of any arrangements for negotiations to continue.
Showing posts with label Latest International News:. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Latest International News:. Show all posts
Friday, September 19, 2008
Thai PM says talks to resume
0 commentsLabels: Latest International News:
GOVERNMENT officials expressed renewed hope for a resolution of border disputes with Thailand following an announcement Thursday by the newly elected Thai prime minister that the two sides would resume negotiations.
"We welcome this good news, and it signals a potential end to the conflict," said Phay Siphan, spokesman for Cambodia's Council of Ministers. "It is good that Thailand is ready to talk."
Somchai Wongsawat, who was named Thai prime minister earlier this week, said he looked forward to more peaceful relations between the two countries.
"I'm ready to talk with Prime Minister Hun Sen," he told reporters at Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Somchai added he expected Thai and Cambodian delegates to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York next week.
"If the Thai government really intends to negotiate ... we will try our best to solve our problems," said Nuth Sa An, secretary of state at the Ministry of Interior. "But I am concerned because they are always under pressure by the opposition party," he said.
Koy Koung, undersecretary of state for Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said he was not aware of any arrangements for negotiations to continue.
"We welcome this good news, and it signals a potential end to the conflict," said Phay Siphan, spokesman for Cambodia's Council of Ministers. "It is good that Thailand is ready to talk."
Somchai Wongsawat, who was named Thai prime minister earlier this week, said he looked forward to more peaceful relations between the two countries.
"I'm ready to talk with Prime Minister Hun Sen," he told reporters at Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Somchai added he expected Thai and Cambodian delegates to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York next week.
"If the Thai government really intends to negotiate ... we will try our best to solve our problems," said Nuth Sa An, secretary of state at the Ministry of Interior. "But I am concerned because they are always under pressure by the opposition party," he said.
Koy Koung, undersecretary of state for Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said he was not aware of any arrangements for negotiations to continue.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Monitors say election below par
0 commentsLabels: Latest International News:
Sunday’s general election fell short of international standards, EU election observers said Tuesday, questioning the impartiality of the National Election Committee amid accusations that names were intentionally deleted from voter rolls.
“We cannot give a definite answer as to whether the election was really free and fair,” Martin Callanan, chief observer of the EU mission, told reporters.
“There were both good aspects and bad aspects to the electoral process. The overall process was peaceful and well-administered. However, there has been some questioning of the NEC’s impartiality. The NEC was seen to delegate tasks to groups known to be aligned to political parties and organisations.”
“We regret the erosion of public confidence in the electoral process caused by these errors with the voter lists,” said Hang Puthea, president of election monitor Nicfec.
Some 50,000 names appear to have been erased from voter registration lists, Callanan had said, disenfranchising many voters.
But the number of missing names would not likely affect the outcome of the polls, he added, saying deletions “would have had to be on a very large scale order to nullify the election results.”
Callanan said that EU observers saw no evidence of “serious political malpractice”, saying,
“Ultimately it is up to the Cambodian people to accept or reject the results. If there is evidence of serious political malpractice, we haven’t seen it yet."
Other monitors also said the vote was not up to Western standards, even in the absence of the serious violence that has marred past polls.
“If we do say this election was ‘free and fair’, we cannot say it was up to Western standards,” said Thun Saray, a board member of the Cambodian election watchdog Comfrel.
“We cannot give a definite answer as to whether the election was really free and fair,” Martin Callanan, chief observer of the EU mission, told reporters.
“There were both good aspects and bad aspects to the electoral process. The overall process was peaceful and well-administered. However, there has been some questioning of the NEC’s impartiality. The NEC was seen to delegate tasks to groups known to be aligned to political parties and organisations.”
“We regret the erosion of public confidence in the electoral process caused by these errors with the voter lists,” said Hang Puthea, president of election monitor Nicfec.
Some 50,000 names appear to have been erased from voter registration lists, Callanan had said, disenfranchising many voters.
But the number of missing names would not likely affect the outcome of the polls, he added, saying deletions “would have had to be on a very large scale order to nullify the election results.”
Callanan said that EU observers saw no evidence of “serious political malpractice”, saying,
“Ultimately it is up to the Cambodian people to accept or reject the results. If there is evidence of serious political malpractice, we haven’t seen it yet."
Other monitors also said the vote was not up to Western standards, even in the absence of the serious violence that has marred past polls.
“If we do say this election was ‘free and fair’, we cannot say it was up to Western standards,” said Thun Saray, a board member of the Cambodian election watchdog Comfrel.
Sunday’s general election fell short of international standards, EU election observers said Tuesday, questioning the impartiality of the National Election Committee amid accusations that names were intentionally deleted from voter rolls.
“We cannot give a definite answer as to whether the election was really free and fair,” Martin Callanan, chief observer of the EU mission, told reporters.
“There were both good aspects and bad aspects to the electoral process. The overall process was peaceful and well-administered. However, there has been some questioning of the NEC’s impartiality. The NEC was seen to delegate tasks to groups known to be aligned to political parties and organisations.”
“We regret the erosion of public confidence in the electoral process caused by these errors with the voter lists,” said Hang Puthea, president of election monitor Nicfec.
Some 50,000 names appear to have been erased from voter registration lists, Callanan had said, disenfranchising many voters.
But the number of missing names would not likely affect the outcome of the polls, he added, saying deletions “would have had to be on a very large scale order to nullify the election results.”
Callanan said that EU observers saw no evidence of “serious political malpractice”, saying,
“Ultimately it is up to the Cambodian people to accept or reject the results. If there is evidence of serious political malpractice, we haven’t seen it yet."
Other monitors also said the vote was not up to Western standards, even in the absence of the serious violence that has marred past polls.
“If we do say this election was ‘free and fair’, we cannot say it was up to Western standards,” said Thun Saray, a board member of the Cambodian election watchdog Comfrel.
“We cannot give a definite answer as to whether the election was really free and fair,” Martin Callanan, chief observer of the EU mission, told reporters.
“There were both good aspects and bad aspects to the electoral process. The overall process was peaceful and well-administered. However, there has been some questioning of the NEC’s impartiality. The NEC was seen to delegate tasks to groups known to be aligned to political parties and organisations.”
“We regret the erosion of public confidence in the electoral process caused by these errors with the voter lists,” said Hang Puthea, president of election monitor Nicfec.
Some 50,000 names appear to have been erased from voter registration lists, Callanan had said, disenfranchising many voters.
But the number of missing names would not likely affect the outcome of the polls, he added, saying deletions “would have had to be on a very large scale order to nullify the election results.”
Callanan said that EU observers saw no evidence of “serious political malpractice”, saying,
“Ultimately it is up to the Cambodian people to accept or reject the results. If there is evidence of serious political malpractice, we haven’t seen it yet."
Other monitors also said the vote was not up to Western standards, even in the absence of the serious violence that has marred past polls.
“If we do say this election was ‘free and fair’, we cannot say it was up to Western standards,” said Thun Saray, a board member of the Cambodian election watchdog Comfrel.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Europe rejects anti-piracy plans
0 commentsLabels: Latest International News:
 Some record labels wants persistent pirates thrown off the net |
European politicians have voted down calls to throw suspected file-sharers off the net.
The idea to cut off persistent pirates formed part of a wide-ranging report on creative industries written for the European parliament.
But in a narrow vote MEPs backed an amendment to the report which said net bans conflicted with "civil liberties and human rights".
It puts MEPS at odds with governments planning tough action against pirates.
Piracy police
"The vote shows that MEPs want to strike a balance between the interests of rights holders and those of consumers, and that big measures like cutting off internet access shouldn't be used," said a spokeswoman for the European Parliament after the vote.
The amendment was added to the so-called Bono Report on the Cultural Industries. This was written by French MEP Guy Bono to inform forthcoming European parliament policy that would encourage growth in the region's creative industries.
The amendment called on the EC and its member nations to "avoid adopting measures conflicting with civil liberties and human rights and with the principles of proportionality, effectiveness and dissuasiveness, such as the interruption of internet access."
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which represents Europe's music industry, said the amendment was "badly drafted" and contradicted the rest of the report.
"We look forward to a full discussion in the European Parliament in the coming months on how best to address copyright theft online," said the IFPI.
The vote has no legal force and leaves national governments free to implement their own anti-piracy plans.
But, said the Open Rights Group, it does "signify resistance" among European law makers to the strict measures that nations such as France are implementing.
In late November 2007 France announced its intention to implement a law that turns net firms into anti-piracy watchdogs.
Information gathered about individuals who persistently share music and movies online will be passed to a government unit that will issue warnings or ask for an individual's net access to be suspended or shut off.
The British government has floated similar plans but net firms have rejected calls for them to act as watchdogs.
| Some record labels wants persistent pirates thrown off the net |
European politicians have voted down calls to throw suspected file-sharers off the net.
The idea to cut off persistent pirates formed part of a wide-ranging report on creative industries written for the European parliament.
But in a narrow vote MEPs backed an amendment to the report which said net bans conflicted with "civil liberties and human rights".
It puts MEPS at odds with governments planning tough action against pirates.
Piracy police
"The vote shows that MEPs want to strike a balance between the interests of rights holders and those of consumers, and that big measures like cutting off internet access shouldn't be used," said a spokeswoman for the European Parliament after the vote.
The amendment was added to the so-called Bono Report on the Cultural Industries. This was written by French MEP Guy Bono to inform forthcoming European parliament policy that would encourage growth in the region's creative industries.
The amendment called on the EC and its member nations to "avoid adopting measures conflicting with civil liberties and human rights and with the principles of proportionality, effectiveness and dissuasiveness, such as the interruption of internet access."
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which represents Europe's music industry, said the amendment was "badly drafted" and contradicted the rest of the report.
"We look forward to a full discussion in the European Parliament in the coming months on how best to address copyright theft online," said the IFPI.
The vote has no legal force and leaves national governments free to implement their own anti-piracy plans.
But, said the Open Rights Group, it does "signify resistance" among European law makers to the strict measures that nations such as France are implementing.
In late November 2007 France announced its intention to implement a law that turns net firms into anti-piracy watchdogs.
Information gathered about individuals who persistently share music and movies online will be passed to a government unit that will issue warnings or ask for an individual's net access to be suspended or shut off.
The British government has floated similar plans but net firms have rejected calls for them to act as watchdogs.
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