Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen

A last-minute bid for release by Khmer Rouge jail chief Duch has underscored deep rifts between foreign and Cambodian staff that threaten the UN-backed court, officials and diplomats said. Duch's defence strategy imploded on the final day of his trial Friday, when he suddenly demanded his release after months of admitting responsibility. Then his international and local lawyers put forward opposing arguments. French counsel Francois Roux asked judges to consider Duch's remorse in a bid to reduce a possible 40-year sentence. But his Cambodian colleague Kar Savuth said the court was not competent to hold the trial. "There are, in Cambodia, a number of ... Read Full Story

Cambodia's parliament stripped immunity from main opposition leader Sam Rainsy Monday, clearing the way for charges against him for uprooting markings at the border with neighbouring Vietnam. "The National Assembly has lifted the parliamentary immunity of Sam Rainsy," said a statement from the legislative body. The statement went on to say Sam Rainsy, currently abroad, had committed acts of "uprooting border posts between Cambodia and Vietnam, and inciting (people) to commit criminal offences" in southeastern Svay Rieng province. The move permits court action against Sam Rainsy, who removed six markers at the border during a march in Svay Rieng last month, alleging that they ... Read Full Story

Southeast Asian leaders are to urge developed nations to make deeper cuts in carbon emissions, underscoring the rift between rich and poor countries on climate measures, it emerged Thursday. In a draft joint statement seen by AFP, heads of state from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said rich countries had a "historical responsibility" to act as well as the economic power to do so. The document, to be endorsed at a summit that begins Friday in the Thai resort of Hua Hin, pledges support for a December meeting in Copenhagen at which 192 countries will attempt to hammer out a new ... Read Full Story

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday urged rich countries to take more responsibility for causing climate change, saying poorer nations were the ones to suffer the fall-out. "All of us poor countries do not cause climate change. (We) would like rich countries to take a bit more responsibility than before," Hun Sen said, branding it a "sin". Hun Sen made his remarks at the first national forum to promote understanding of climate change in Cambodia, ahead of a key global summit on the issue this December in Copenhagen, Denmark. He said it was difficult to expect a deal at the UN climate conference ... Read Full Story

Cambodia's foreign currency reserves have topped the 2.5 billion dollar mark despite forecasts that the country's economy will contract this year, the premier said Thursday. Hun Sen revealed in a speech that the country has increased its international reserves by 21.48 percent since the end of last year, when they stood at just over two billion US dollars. "Despite receiving the impact of the global economic and financial crisis, we can ensure international reserves will continue increasing remarkably," he said. "As of the end of August 2009, calculated international reserves had reached 2,522 million US dollars," he added, in the speech marking 30 years ... Read Full Story