Cambodia
Cambodia offers olive branch after letter from Trump

Cambodia’s leader Hun Sen us offering to renew relations with the US after receiving a letter from US President Donald Trump. PM Sen’s offer marks a turnaround in relations with the country he once accused of trying to overthrow him.
Hun Sen thanked Trump for assurances that Washington was not seeking “regime change” in Cambodia.
“Both countries’ foreign affairs teams should now work “to restore trust and confidence, and to renew the bond of friendship between our two countries.”
Cambodia is one of China’s closest allies, and turned its back on the US and the EU over their criticism of its political repression.
Less than four months ago, a Cambodian official said US diplomats should “pack up and leave.” This followed a US embassy statement that the 2018 election didn’t “reflect the will of the people.” Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party won all 125 parliamentary seats after Cambodia’s Supreme Court disbanded the main opposition party.
The opposition Party was accused of plotting to take power with US help, and its leader, Kem Sokha, was arrested for treason. He has been since released from house arrest earlier this month, but the treason charges remain. His release came as a surprise because the EU is moving closer to cutting off preferential trade status over human rights.
Hun Sen’s letter was a response to one from President Trump seeking to improve ties between the two nations. Trump urged the Cambodian PM to put his country back on a democratic path.
The Cambodian leader, in power for since 1985, acknowledged “tumultuous periods” in US relations, a veiled reference to the US’s illegal bombing of Cambodia during its war with Vietnam…
“However, I am of the view that we should not become hostage to a few dark chapters in our history. There are so many other beautiful chapters that are worth nourishing for the greater good of both our countries and people.”
PM Hun Sen mentioned US support for nation building after decades of civil war that ended in the 1990s and “generous market access,” according to the Chiang Rai Times article.
“I am indeed thankful and truly appreciate these magnanimous gestures.”
SOURCE: Chiang Rai Times
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Thailand
Migrant workers risk losing their legal status, the Cabinet to extend work permit amnesty

Over 1.7 million migrant workers in Thailand are going to lose their legal working status because they can’t submit work permit renewal and a health certificate with Covid-19 test results in time. The Labour Ministry then proposes the cabinet will extend the registration period (amnesty) for migrant workers to help maintain their legal status. Migrant workers, including those illegal and unemployed workers, are required to register with authorities via the ministry’s website from January 15 until February 13.
According to the Labour Minister, every migrant worker to renew their work permit must receive a Covid-19 test at hospitals designated by the Public Health Ministry. The Department of Medical Sciences will be responsible for the testing costs.
Illegal and unemployed workers, who registered with the Ministry, will be allowed to stay in the Kingdom for 2 years without penalties. Only those migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar are allowed to overstay their current visas, but are required to register with the provincial employment office in the area they work, as part of the amnesty.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Environment
Laos – the ‘battery’ of Asia and a ticking environmental time bomb

LAOS POWER FACTS:
Number of power plants soon to be completed by the end of 2020:53 hydropower plants under construction or in the planning stage, including those set to be completed this year; there will be more than 90 hydropower plants in Laos with a combined installed capacity of almost 14,000MW.
Transmission lines that connect with neighbouring countries: 14 carry power to Thailand, 2 to Vietnam, 1 to China, 2 to Cambodia, and 1 to Myanmar.
Trick question. What uses more power? Siam Paragon in Bangkok or the entire province of Mae Hong Son (with 250,000 residents in north-west Thailand)?
The astonishing answer is, of course, Siam Paragon. By a factor of DOUBLE the power consumption of the north-western Thai province near the Myanmar border. Siam Paragon consumes 123 GWh of electricity a year (in 2011), compared to the quarter-million inhabitants of Mae Hong Son Province, who over the same period, used 65 GWh.
So, whilst you trek across some ancient hills enjoying an old and proud culture in Thailand’s north-west you need to compare that with some of the opulent malls in central Bangkok which can easily compare with their counterparts in Singapore, New York or London.
The worlds of luxury brands Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada, Tiffany and Cartier, and the power these shops consume, is an entirely different world from other parts of rural Thailand. But Siam Paragon is just one of half a dozen luxury malls sprawled along a 6 kilometre stretch of the city’s upscale Sukhumvit stretch. They all consume vast amounts of power along with a growing number of expensive condominium projects.
So, Thailand has turned to Laos and the hydro-electric potential along the Mekong to feed its growing electricity demand. Xayaburi and Don Sahong dams, currently under construction, are among the cornerstones of a dam-building bonanza by Laos to realise its aspiration to become the “Battery of Asia”. Thailand is one of Laos’ key partners and buyers of power. And the kingdom’s largest energy consumer is (no surprise here) Bangkok, with it’s sparkling lights and air-conditioning ticking over the electricity meters at rapid pace.
Many analysts worry the planned hydropower dams will devastate fish populations, harm agriculture and hurt culture and tourism along the fragile Mekong basin, threatening the livelihoods of 65 million people who rely on the river for income and food.
With 42 power plants now operational, Laos is poised to realise its electricity ambitions. With a current installed capacity of approximately 6,000MW, the Lao government expects to achieve 14,000MW by the end of this year.
Thailand is not on its own with massive development and expansion putting pressure on the older ways of life. But the disparity in the Kingdom between the power-hungry city life and the older-style agriculture is now sharply in focus with this new deal with the Laos power providers.
But a devastating collapse at a hydro dam in July 2018 shon the spotlight on Laos’ energy ambitions again. The devastation caused by the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy dam in Attapeu province was sharp proof of the potential dangers in the Laotian government’s plans. The landlocked country sells much of its electricity abroad, which makes up 30-40% of its total exports.
The Lao PDR government is planning to double current energy production in the next 2 years. But environmental groups are warning of the project’s impact on the environment and the nations the river supports.
The movement of water, fish and sediment downstream has historically supported tens of millions of people along the Mekong, and efforts to constrain its flow are proving disastrous for the riverside communities.
For nearly 20 years, activists have called for action against the development of hydro-dams and water projects. But this month the campaign took the next step with plans to focus on taking action at the policy level.
It took 2 decades, but activists have now launched the “Mekong People’s Forum.” 200 people attended the forum including local villagers, conservationists, journalists, and representatives from the US and Australian embassies. The Chinese embassy, although invited, did not send anyone to attend the event. China is responsible for 11 dams along the Mekong.
This is the first time the many conservation groups and activists have come together with a single forum to tackle the many challenges for the river. Several dams have now been built upstream in Laos and China causing massive problems for the natural flow of the river downstream through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Cambodian PM tests negative for Covid-19 after meeting with Hungarian foreign minister

Cambodian PM Hun Sen says he tested negative for Covid-19, but he will be in self-quarantine for the next 14 days. On Tuesday, the prime minister met with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijarto, who tested positive for Covid-19 while in Bangkok, Thai officials announced yesterday.
The Hungary delegation had a 1-day visit in Phnom Penh on Tuesday before travelling to Bangkok where the foreign minister tested positive for the virus. On Monday, before leaving Hungary and travelling to Cambodia, the Hungarian delegates had undergone testing and had medical certificates declaring that they were free from Covid-19.
Photos of show the Hungarian foreign minister not wearing a face mask when meeting with the Cambodian prime minister and other officials.
A number of Cambodian ministers and senior officials are quarantined after meeting with the Hungarian foreign minister. The prime minister says himself and 17 other at his home including his wife and bodyguards have all tested negative.
“Although I have not contracted Covid-19, I will self-quarantine for 14 days as advised by doctors.”
The Hungarian foreign minister and 12 delegates were tested on Tuesday upon arrival at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, according to Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. The Hungarian foreign minister tested positive in the RT-PCR test. His infection was reconfirmed in a second test. Anutin says Peter was asymptomatic and taken to Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute where he was given the anti-viral drug Favirpiravir.
The delegates cancelled all appointments yesterday and flew back home on a private jet, according to Anutin. The foreign minister had been scheduled to meet with PM Prayut Chan-o-cha.
SOURCE: Thai PBS| Associated Press | Phnom Penh Post
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