Monday, 25.8.2008: United States of America Grants More Than US$34 Million for Heath and Education Projects in Cambodia

The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 575

“Phnom Penh: The government of the United States of America and the Royal Government of Cambodia will sign two bilateral agreements at a total cost of US$34.3 million as donor funds for 2008, from the U. S. Agency for International Development [USAID] to promote priority sectors in Cambodia – health and education.

“The [signing] ceremony will be held on 25 August 2008 and will be presided over by Samdech Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia, Mr. Joseph Mussomeli, the US Ambassador to Cambodia, Mr. Hor Namhong, a Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Ms.
Erin Soto, USAID Mission Director, who will sign on behalf of the US government. These new funds will add to nearly US$200 million since USAID granted funds for the health and education sectors of Cambodia since 2002.

“An announcement by the US Embassy on 23 August 2008 said that the first agreement will be a grant of a total volume of US$32.2 million to strengthen the health sector as a priority. This fund will promote all activities aiming at the reduction rate of infections and of the impact of HIV/AIDS, and the prevention and the wiping out of big infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and bird flu, in order to improve child and maternal health and reproductive health, and to strengthen the public heath system, also including the strengthening of additional technical skills for health staff.

“The second agreement will provide more than US$2 million in total to support plans of the Royal Government of Cambodia for the education sector. The funds will be used for the existing programs to improve the quality of education as the basis to increase access to schools for Cambodian children, as well as for children of minority peoples, and for those who do not get access to employment [disabled persons?], and also support the schooling of very poor children. This activity will also focus on the implementation of new study programs at the national level with educational standards which will cut down the rates of dropping out of school and of the repetition of classes through the enhancement of the quality of teaching and through assessments of the results of the students’ studies.

“In addition to the activities in the health and education sectors, USAID assists also some programs for the benefit of all the Cambodian citizens, including programs to strengthen human rights, the rule of law, of basic good governance, and of decentralization, the fight against corruption, the development of the private sector, and the fight against human trafficking. USAID expects to grant US$57.5 million to Cambodia in 2008.” Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4676, 24-25.8.2008

Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Monday, 26 August 2008

Deum Tnot, Vol.1, #32, 25-26.8.2008

• Samdech Krom Preah Norodom Ranariddh, the Former President of the Third Term National Assembly and Co-President of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, Had [a huge number of] 59 Advisors and 66 Assistants

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1728, 24-25.8.2008

• National Election Committee Rejects Opposition Party’s Request to Show Evidence [of irregularities for deleting voters’ names – NEC claims that the names were deleted a long time ago]
• Many Mountains in Pailin Seriously Destroyed [by powerful people’s land grabbing]

Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.2, #229, 24-26.8.2008

• People Talking on Mobile Phones Were Killed by Lightning, because [Posts and Telecommunication Minister] So Khun Is Poor in Communication Technology [???]
• Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha Will Take Evidence to Complain to UN Together, in Early September [over irregularities in election]

Koh Santepheap, Vol.41, #6432, 25.8.2008

• Government Official [Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith] Accuses an American Newspaper [The Modesto Bee] of Insulting Cambodia [an article by Pulitzer Prize winner former journalist and now professor of journalism at Stanford University Joel Brinkley, quoting the Phnom Penh Post report and the US Ambassador about a fatal traffic accident and impunity: “The world leader in corruption is – Cambodia”]

Rasmei Angkor, Vol.11, #1351, 25.8.2008

• Robbers Shot at Gold Seller and Robbed Him of Nearly 300 Chi of Gold [worth approx. US$30,000]; the Gold Seller Is Wounded and a Neighbor, Who Tried to Help Him, Was Shot Dead [by robbers – Angkao, Phnom Penh]

Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4676, 24-25.8.2008

• United States of America Grants More Than US$34 Million for Heath and Education Projects in Cambodia
• Samdech Krom Preah [Prince Norodom Ranariddh] Decides Not to Enter Politics [according to Prince Thomico]
• Thai Opposition Group Announces to Hold a Large Demonstration to Expel the Government on 26 August 2008

Click here to have a look at the last editorial – some fundamental challenges into the future

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