irregularities

The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 571

“Phnom Penh: The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has become the first health treaty; it entered into force on 27 February 2005. To support this treaty, the Royal Government of Cambodia ratified it on 15 November 2005.

“According to a summary report for Cambodia about the use and the monitoring of tobacco, the percentage of smokers and the tendency to smoke cigarettes among men and women, at the age of 20: 53.9% of the men, and 6% of the women are smoking, while in general, more people in rural areas are smoking cigarettes than in cities.

“The same report continued to say that men at and over 40 smoke a lot of cigarettes; the age bracket of women with a high rate of smoking cigarettes is from 40 to 49. People start to smoke on the average from the age of 20. For tobacco a smoker spends approximately US$35.80 per year, and the annual expense of a family with cigarettes smokers is US$69.44 in Cambodia.

“A family in Phnom Penh, smoking cigarettes, spends 2.5% of their income, while in rural areas, a family spends 2.9%. In a family, one smoker spends about US$3 per month on average to buy cigarettes, and smokers smoke many cigarettes, starting from five minutes after getting up in the morning.

“Mr. Mom Kong, director of the Movement for Health in Cambodia, said that tobacco is an industrial crop which is planted in some provinces, such as Kompong Cham, Kandal, Prey Veng, and Kratie. About 90% of all tobacco plantations are in Kompong Cham. About 17,000 hectares are planted with tobacco, to produce cigarettes and for other uses, such as for [hand] turned cigarettes, and tobacco to be smoked in pipes.

“Mr. Mom Kong added that there are more than 200 types of cigarettes, including local cigarettes and cigarettes imported from foreign countries, which are sold on the markets. There are different types of cigarettes, from France, China, Japan, England, the United Sates of America, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia. He continued that [hand] turned cigarettes are used most, by 29% of the smokers, following by Khmer cigarettes at 24%, and then Parrot Cigarettes at 14%. Parrot Cigarettes is the most popular cigarette brand in the cities. Smokers in rural areas smoke local cigarettes, because their income is lower and cigarettes from foreign countries are expensive.

“Mr. Mom Kong mentioned that to be successful in controlling the use of tobacco, the Royal Government should draft anti-tobacco laws soon. These laws should be in accordance with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and should have clear regulations to prohibit the tobacco industry not to interfere with this policy, recognizing the strategic role of advertisements for marketing, and of the promotional efforts by the tobacco industry, aiming to promote addiction to nicotine. To counter the marketing strategies of the tobacco industry, presenting advertisements to all citizens, the Royal Government should introduce a total ban on tobacco advertising immediately, as well as stop sponsorships by the tobacco industry to protect the citizens, especially the youth.” Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1706, 30.7.2008

Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Wednesday, 30 July 2008

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1706, 30.7.2008

• Rate of Cigarette Smokers in Rural Areas Is Higher than in the City
• Cambodian Troops Will Withdraw Any Time, but Wait for the Thai Side First [said Prime Minister Hun Sen on 29 July 2008 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the Thai troops move according to decisions by the Thai cabinet – so the Cambodian side will wait for a Thai cabinet decision before moving]
• A Newspaper Seller Was Arrested on Accusation of Distributing Leaflets for a Demonstration [Tuol Kork]
• Funcinpec Asserted that It Will Continue to Cooperate with the Cambodian People’s Party [according to a letter from Princess Norodom Arunrasmei, who was the Funcinpec prime ministerial candidate; she is the wife of the Funcinpec president Mr. Keo Puth Rasmey, and a daughter of the Father King]
• According to a Report in Phnom Penh, 37 People Died through Traffic Accidents, and More than 100 People Were Injured in the Previous Month [from 20 June 2008 to 20 July 2008]!

Khmer Sthapana, Vol.1, #60, 30.7.2008

• The Election Results Are Received with 95% Confidence, and with 5% Bias
• More than 70 Big and Many Small Boats Are Fishing Illegally [during the prohibited season, in the Siem Reap region]

Koh Santepheap, Vol.41, #6410, 30.7.2008

• More Than 300 Siamese [Thai] Farmers Protested Near the Ou Rumduol Border Crossing [Battambang] against Siamese Merchants Who Buy Khmer Corn [29 July 2008]

Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.15, #3525, 30.7.2008

• Sam Rainsy Party Parliamentarians Sue the National Election Committee at the Constitution Council for Abusing the Rights of Voters [the accusations are: 1. Some Voters had their names and enough documents, but were not allowed to vote because other voters voted for them already; 2. Citizen who registered and who had voter information cards, but their names were not on the lists; 3. The names of citizens who had voted in 2007 and had checked their names correctly on the lists before the election were not on the list on the election day. 4. Citizens whose names were on the list and who followed the instruction of the National Election Committee, taking their family books to vote, were denied to vote by officials of the polling stations who allowed only the head of a family, whose photo was in the family book, to vote (this is a mistake created by an unclear NEC instruction [as not all pictures of all family members are in the family book]). 5. Some of the citizens’ names were eliminated without reason, and 6. The provision of Form 1018 to those who did not have names in the lists was done even on election day on election day]

Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4654, 30.7.2008

• Mr. Sam Rainsy Gathers Those Who Could Not Vote to Now Protest, but Not to March [on 30 July 2008]
  Head of the European Community Observers [Mr. Martin Callanan]: There Is No Serious Irregularity Affecting the Election Results
• Cambodian and Thai Prime Ministers Are Satisfied with the Results of the Meeting in Siem Reap [which was held on 28 July 2008]
• As Soon as the Election Results Were Released, the Government Declared to Increase the Allowance [of Riel 20,000 = approx. US$5] for Civil Servants Immediately [according to an announcement by the Ministry of Economy and Finance on 29 July 2008]
• [About 30] Khmer Students in the Philippines Held a Non-Violent Demonstration [in front of the Thai Embassy] against the Presence of Thai Troops in the Preah Vihear Region [28 July 2008]

Samleng Yuvachun Khmer, Vol.15, #3372, 30.7.2008

• Funcinpec Rejected to Join [with the Sam Rainsy Party, the Human Rights Party, and the Norodom Ranariddh Party] against the Election Results

Click here to have a look at the last Mirror editorial – where we provided detailed information about the 2003 election results, to compare them with the election results of 2008, as they become available.

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