Cambodia: CPP set to take most NA posts

Phnom Penh (VNA) – The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), which won a landslide victory in the July 27 general election, will occupy the posts of the National Assembly (NA) president and deputy president, as well as the chairmanships of each of its nine commissions.

The NA reshuffle would reflect the CPP’s dominance at the polls, Cambodian government spokesman and Ministry of Information Khieu Kanharith was quoted by local media as saying.

He added that the new NA would avoid the political deadlock that paralysed the government following the 2003 election.

In the outgoing NA, the CPP heads five commissions, while FUNCINPEC chairs two posts and the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) another two.-

Thai police take positions at Government House

– Thailand ’s riot police early on August 27 took up positions outside the main government compound, where thousands of protesters camped out through the night to demand Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej’s resignation.

The police said they are not going to disperse the crowd, but will negotiate a peaceful solution. It is reported that a few officers and protesters sustained minor injuries in scuffles as police tried to break through the gates of Government House.

Up to 35,000 protesters on August 26 seized a state-run television station, stormed the Government House and besieged at least three ministries in a stepped-up campaign to cripple PM Samak Sundaravej’s administration.

The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which has been protesting since May, claims PM Samak is running the country on behalf of ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra.

PM Samak, who took office following the December 2007 general election, said on August 26 that he and his cabinet ministers will not quit their posts as demanded by the PAD.

The prime minister accused the anti-government coalition of trying to provoke bloodshed that would spark a coup to oust his government. He insisted the police would not resort to force and would exercise a soft and gentle approach by using legal action against the protesters.-

RoK, Singapore to hold defence strategic dialogue

– Senior defence officials from the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Singapore will hold a “strategic dialogue”, the first of its kind between defence authorities of the two nations.

The one-day “strategic dialogue”, slated for August 28 in Singapore, is aimed at expanding bilateral defence ties and exchanges, according to the RoK’s Defence Ministry.

During the strategic dialogue, the two sides are expected to discuss the potential sale of the RoK’s T-50 supersonic trainer jets for Singapore.

Deputy Minister for policy at the RoK’s Defence Ministry Jeon Jei-guk will represent the RoK delegation while Singapore’s delegation will be led by Assistant Deputy Defence Minister for policy Gary Ang Aik Hwang.-

ASEAN pledges to ratify FTA with Japan soon

– Economic ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on August 26 pledged to work for the speedy ratification of an economic partnership agreement with Japan that is expected to take effect before the end of this year.

The ministers said in a joint statement issued after their annual meeting in Singapore that they resolved to ratify the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership, Japan’s first FTA with a regional bloc, as soon as possible.

A senior Philippine official was quoted by Kyodo news as saying that the pact will come into force on October 1, based on the fact that the agreement will be activated on the first day of the second month after Japan and at least one of the 10 ASEAN members completes domestic procedures to ratify it.

It was endorsed by the Japanese parliament in June. Singapore has also ratified it.

The accord with ASEAN is not only an FTA for goods but also covers services and investment. It will enable Japanese companies that are expanding their markets in Southeast Asia to cut trade costs.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.-

Promising outlook for ASEAN trade in 2008

Hanoi (VNA) – The outlook for the Southeast Asia’s trade in 2008 is “promising” despite the global economy is slowdown, said a statement by the annual ASEAN economic ministers’ meeting on August 26.

The outlook for 2008 is promising as total ASEAN trade in the first quarter of 2008 posted an annual growth of 31.8 percent, the statement noted.

However, the ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) emphasised the need to continue efforts to deepen and broaden economic integration of ASEAN, a market of over 550 million people and total trade of about 1.6 trillion USD.

At the week-long Singapore meeting opening on August 26, the ASEAN trade ministers tracked efforts to integrate the regional bloc’s Economic Community by 2015, which will facilitate movement of goods, services and people.

They noted that the increased investment flows of over 60 billion USD last year indicate that ASEAN remained a favoured destination for investments.

The 10-member meeting also announced conclusion of the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement. Investors from ASEAN and those based in the region can expect to benefit from the new pact.

During the next few days, ASEAN will continue to negotiate free trade agreements with its dialogue partners such as Australia, New Zealand, China, India, the Republic of Korea and EU.

ASEAN is expected to seal FTA with India, Australia and New Zealand this week.-

Ho Chi Minh City: Less plastic equals less pollution

HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City environmental experts and officials have proposed limiting the use of plastic bags by supermarkets to reduce pollution in city waterways.

Experts spoke on August 26 at a seminar in HCM City held by the city’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the HCM City Waste Recycling Fund and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

The city fund and the UN, in a joint survey, said their findings showed that restricting the use of plastic bags in supermarkets and trading centres should be done as soon as posible.

Every month the Maximark chain uses 10 tonnes of plastic bags and the Big C supermarket 20 tonnes. More than 30 tonnes of plastic bags are used in supermarkets and other shops every day in the city, the survey found.

Ms. Kim Ae Seon of the Korean Environmental and Resources Corporation of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Environmental Ministry said the use of instant use containers at fast food restaurants or coffee shops and other non-biodegradable products needed to be controlled.

Kim said many customers in RoK still preferred plastic bags instead of paper bags.

Associate professor Doctor Bui Cach Tuyen, deputy general director of the city’s Environmental Department, said raising awareness among consumers was critical and that a media campaign was needed.

Many residents still throw plastic bags in rivers and canals, Tuyen added.

He suggested a tax on plastic bags used in supermarkets and new policies on encouraging waste collectors to recycle.

Le Van Khoa, head of the city’s recycling fund, said a fee should be charged to customers who want to use plastic bags.-

Experts talk internet resources management

Hanoi (VNA) – An international conference on the management of internet resources and technology trends opened in Hanoi on August 26, drawing the participation of experts and policymakers from Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, the Republic of Korea and Vietnam.

The two-day conference is expected to provide the participants, including nearly 200 delegates from Vietnam’s internet community, with opportunities to share experiences in developing the internet and information technology, setting up e-government and promoting the internet technologies for mobile phone networks.

The participants are set to focus their discussions on internet development strategies and policies, e-government formulation, internet resources management, software industry and security technology development, and internet technologies for mobile phone networks.

The event is co-hosted by the Vietnam Internet Network Information Centre (VNNIC) and the National Internet Development Agency of Korea (NIDA).-

Government cracks down on spam mail

– The Government issued Decree No.90/2008/ND-CP on August 26 dated August 13 on preventing spam mail, which include emails, messages sent to those who do not want to receive or are not obliged to receive them.

The decree strictly forbids sending spam mail, cheating, and using software to collect e-addresses without owner’s approval.

Advertisement service providers are allowed to send advertising e-mails and advertising messages until the recipients object.-

Hanoi to host Japan’s IT Festival 2008

Hanoi (VNA) – As many as 130 enterprises from Vietnam and Japan are expected to participate in the “ Japan ’s Information Technology Festival 2008” in Hanoi from September 3-4.

Organisers said the festival will include an exhibition on Vietnam-Japan IT cooperation achievements and seminars on cooperation in IT human resource development, business and technology.

On this occasion, Vietnam ’s Ministry of Information and Communication will hold a talk with software businesses from the two countries.

A series of cultural activities highlighting Japanese culinary, tea ceremony, Origami paper folding, kimono traditional costume, as well as Vietnamese calligraphy will take place within the framework of the event.

The annual festival is co-organised by the Vietnam Software Association (VINASA) and the VINASA-Japan IT Cooperation Club (VJC).-

First project launched at VN-Singapore IP in Bac Ninh

Bac Ninh (VNA) – Japan’s Trois Electronic Vietnam Co, Ltd. has become the first investor to implement its investment project at the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park in northern Bac Ninh province (VSIP Bac Ninh).

The 700-ha VSIP Bac Ninh has to date attracted 15 projects with a combined registered investment capital of 200 million USD.

They register to lease 120ha in the IP, but except for Trois Electronic, none of the projects have started due to delay in ground clearance work.

The park, which is considered the province’s key industrial development project, hopes to attract over 200 domestic and foreign investors with an estimated investment capital of 2 billion USD and provide jobs for some 40,000 workers.-