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The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 663

“Phnom Penh: Seven local and foreign companies received economic concession land from the Royal Government of Cambodia to grow agro-industrial crops and trees. The agreement to provide concision land was made on 5 May 2010 at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries and was chaired by Minister Chan Sarun.

“In front of the participants and leaders of the companies that got concession land, the Minister of Agriculture expressed appreciation for those companies as they are trusted by the Royal Government. And he suggested to those companies to invest more, to promote a proper and sustainable ago-industrial sector, based on plans that include the exchange of techniques, the creation of jobs, and the increase of income and of health services, roads, and agricultural markets. He asked those companies to care about protecting the environment in order to avoid, and to reduce, as much as possible bad impacts on the environment because of their investment operations, to promote the plantation of trees, especially rubber trees, and the manufacturing for export, based on a proper sharing of benefits between the investors and the state.

“The seven companies that received economic concession land:

1. PLT Company, 7,900 hectares in Rovieng district, Preah Vihear, for planting rubber trees
2. CRCK Rubber Development company, 6,044 hectares in Sandan district, Kompong Thom, for planting rubber trees
3. Hua Ling company, 7,773 hectares in O’ Reang Euv district and Monorum district in Mondolkiri, to plant Srol trees [a type of pine trees; its rosin is of better quality than that of rubber trees]
4. CCV company, 5,730 hectares in Santuk district, Kompong Thom, for planting acacia
5. IPD Instance Pro-Trading, 987 hectares in Sambou district, Kratie, for planting rubber trees
6. Camtri Corporation, 2,409 hectares in Chhouk district, Kampot, for planting acacia trees
7. Krongbuk-Ratanakiri Rubber Development Company, 6,695 hectares in Andong Meas district, Ratanakiri, for planting rubber trees.”

Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.18, #5192, 8.5.2010

Note:

The article contains:

• No information which company is national, and which is foreign
• No information about the bidding process through which these companies “received economic concession land from the government”
• There is no information presented about any financial conditions that had to be met to receive these contracts
• There is no information given about the number of years covered by the various contracts
• The minister asked those companies to care about protecting the environment, but there is no information given whether and what kind of measurable data for the protection of the environment are part of the concession contracts, and what kind of penalty regulations have been contracted, in case the environment protection regulations might be violated
• What is considered to be “proper sharing of benefits between the investors and the state” is not spelled out in terms of monetary or percentage figures.

Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Saturday, 8 May 2010

Deum Ampil, Vol.4, #472, 8.5.2010

• The National Assembly Adopted a Law about the Creation of [six] More Consulates in China [at important cities of China to facilitate trade related visits between the two countries]
• Korea Grants US$3.3 Million to Support the Health Sector in Siem Reap
• The European Union and Cambodia Jointly Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Creation of the European Union [on 9 May 2010 – the date relates to a programmatic speech by Robert Schuman, Foreign Minister of France between 1948-1952, on 9 May 1950. – The Mirror editorial tomorrow will deal with this in detail – relating also to relations within ASEAN]

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.9, #2243, 8.5.2010

• The Heng Development Company Is Accused of Violating 4,000 Hectares of Residents of Four Communes in Kandal Stung District [in Kandal; around 250 citizens came to protest in front of the residence of Prime Minister Hun Sen in Phnom Penh]
• Son of [the Kompong Speu deputy governor] Mr. Tong Seng Drove His Car to [intentionally] Hit a Worker [working at his ice factory, because the worker demanded his salary that had not been paid for four months], but the Authorities Released the Driver [after there had been interventions from generals – Kandal]
• Leaders of Red Shirt Demonstrators [opposing the government] Agreed to Disperse on 10 May 2010

Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.4, #650, 8.5.2010

• [Opposition part parliamentarian] Yim Sovann: Many Questions [about payments from foreign companies to Cambodia related to mineral and oil concessions] Were Not Answered by the Government

Koh Santepheap, Vol.43, #6950, 8-9.5.2010

• The Authorities Require Land Owners of 3,177 Unused Plots of Land in Seven Districts in Phnom Penh to Pay Land Tax to the State
• The Chamkar Mon Authorities Raided Four Night Clubs Including the “Young Girl Night Club” Where There Were Many Teenage Girls [Phnom Penh. – The Owners of three clubs were arrested for involvement with drug distribution, and nude dance presentations; the fourth club was not found to have committed any violations]

Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.17, #3874, 8-9.5.2010

• The Honor of the Poipet Immigration Police Is Getting Lost as They Extort Money from Workers
• A Luxury Grade Wood Storehouse in Sihanoukville Was Checked, and 10 Cubic Meter of Wood Was Found Buried in the Ground

Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.18, #5192, 8.5.2010

• Seven Companies Receive Economic Concession Land from the Government
• Early 2010, the Number of Cambodian Workers Who Migrate Abroad Increased [from January to April 2010, 2,607 workers were sent to work in Malaysia and 500 to Korea]

Have a look at the last editorial – you can access it directly from the main page of the Mirror.
And please recommend The Mirror also to your colleagues and friends.

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