Ransom demanded for missing ship

Writer: AFP
Published: 15/08/2009 at 08:30 PM
A ransom has been sought for a Russian-crewed cargo vessel that disappeared two weeks ago, Finnish police said Saturday, as a Russian frigate headed in the direction where the vessel had been spotted.
The ransom demand was made to the Finnish owners of the Arctic Sea, police said, with the vessel's disappearance having set off an intense search by the Russian military and deep concern over its fate.
"Yes, it is true that there has been a demand for ransom, which is money, and the demand has been made to the company which owns the ship, Solchart Management in Finland,'' Finnish Detective Chief Superintendent Jan Nyholm told AFP.
The company could not be immediately reached for comment.
Officials in Cape Verde and France said Friday the ship had been spotted off the archipelago, which lies off Africa's western coast, but Russia has not confirmed the sighting.
The French military said Saturday it was likely the ship remained in the same area and a Russian warship seemed headed towards it.
"A small Russian frigate that was located in the Mediterranean is currently headed toward the south, probably to meet up with the Arctic Sea,'' said French Commander Jerome Baroe.
Moscow's ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, said Russia would not give out details of the search for the time being.
"The data necessary to search for and identify the Arctic Sea ship is being checked and double-checked in the most thorough manner,'' he told Russia television.
"The rest of the information, including the Arctic Sea's location coordinates, is not subject to disclosure,'' he said, citing the interests of the search operation and the crew's well-being.
A European Union spokesman has said it appeared the ship, which disappeared after passing through the English Channel in late July, had been attacked twice.
It had been due to arrive in Algeria on August 4 with a cargo of sawn Norwegian timber worth more than a million euros (1.42 million dollars).
Pirate attacks in European waters are extremely rare, and the ship's disappearance on one of the world's main shipping routes has led to intense speculation over what may have occurred.
Moscow's ambassador to Cape Verde Alexander Karpushin has said the Cape Verdean military has not officially informed him of the spotting.
He also said searches for the ship were continuing with Russian ships, submarines and satellites "and other means of detection'' but declined to provide details on where they were taking place.
Experts have debated whether pirates, a mafia quarrel or a commercial dispute were behind the disappearance of the Maltese-flagged ship, which left Finland on July 23.
A European Union spokesman said Friday that the ship appeared to have been attacked twice but not in "traditional'' acts of piracy.
"From information currently available it would seem that these acts, such as they have been reported, have nothing in common with 'traditional' acts of piracy or armed robbery at sea,'' Martin Selmayr said, without providing details.
The ship is linked to an automatic tracking system but the last signal was received on July 30, showing it was off the coast of northwestern France.

Ransom demanded for missing ship

Writer: AFP
Published: 15/08/2009 at 08:30 PM
A ransom has been sought for a Russian-crewed cargo vessel that disappeared two weeks ago, Finnish police said Saturday, as a Russian frigate headed in the direction where the vessel had been spotted.
The ransom demand was made to the Finnish owners of the Arctic Sea, police said, with the vessel's disappearance having set off an intense search by the Russian military and deep concern over its fate.
"Yes, it is true that there has been a demand for ransom, which is money, and the demand has been made to the company which owns the ship, Solchart Management in Finland,'' Finnish Detective Chief Superintendent Jan Nyholm told AFP.
The company could not be immediately reached for comment.
Officials in Cape Verde and France said Friday the ship had been spotted off the archipelago, which lies off Africa's western coast, but Russia has not confirmed the sighting.
The French military said Saturday it was likely the ship remained in the same area and a Russian warship seemed headed towards it.
"A small Russian frigate that was located in the Mediterranean is currently headed toward the south, probably to meet up with the Arctic Sea,'' said French Commander Jerome Baroe.
Moscow's ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, said Russia would not give out details of the search for the time being.
"The data necessary to search for and identify the Arctic Sea ship is being checked and double-checked in the most thorough manner,'' he told Russia television.
"The rest of the information, including the Arctic Sea's location coordinates, is not subject to disclosure,'' he said, citing the interests of the search operation and the crew's well-being.
A European Union spokesman has said it appeared the ship, which disappeared after passing through the English Channel in late July, had been attacked twice.
It had been due to arrive in Algeria on August 4 with a cargo of sawn Norwegian timber worth more than a million euros (1.42 million dollars).
Pirate attacks in European waters are extremely rare, and the ship's disappearance on one of the world's main shipping routes has led to intense speculation over what may have occurred.
Moscow's ambassador to Cape Verde Alexander Karpushin has said the Cape Verdean military has not officially informed him of the spotting.
He also said searches for the ship were continuing with Russian ships, submarines and satellites "and other means of detection'' but declined to provide details on where they were taking place.
Experts have debated whether pirates, a mafia quarrel or a commercial dispute were behind the disappearance of the Maltese-flagged ship, which left Finland on July 23.
A European Union spokesman said Friday that the ship appeared to have been attacked twice but not in "traditional'' acts of piracy.
"From information currently available it would seem that these acts, such as they have been reported, have nothing in common with 'traditional' acts of piracy or armed robbery at sea,'' Martin Selmayr said, without providing details.
The ship is linked to an automatic tracking system but the last signal was received on July 30, showing it was off the coast of northwestern France.

Acting chief on hand on 'Petition day'

Writer: BangkokPost.com
Published: 15/08/2009 at 02:29 PM
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva disclosed on Saturday that he had assigned acting police chief Pol Gen Wichien Pojphosri to take responsibility in maintaining peace and order on the petition day.
Mr Abhisit said he had directed the acting police chief to come up with measures to prevent supporters of the United front for Democracy against Dictatorship from confronting with the blue-shirts, supporters of Newin Chidchob, leader of the Friends of Newin faction inside the Bhumjaithai party.
The red-shirts plan to present the petition for Thaksin pardon to the Office of His Majesty’s Principal Private Secretary inside the Grand Palace on Monday.
On the same that the Supreme Court, located nearby the Grand Palace, will rule on the corruption case involving Mr Newin and 43 others over the Agriculture Ministry's purchase of 90 million rubber saplings between 2004 and 2006. Mr Newin was deputy agriculture minister in the Thaksin Shinawatra administration at the time.

US-Cambodians Ready for August Festivals

By Taing Sarada, VOA Khmer Original report from Washington13 August 2009
Cambodians in the US should mark their calendars for Aug. 15, no matter where they are, with events planned on the east and west coasts.
Cambodians are preparing for a forum on cultural, civilization and social issues to be held Aug. 15 in Takoma, Washington, aimed at building solidarity, relationships and a chance to exchange experiences among Cambodians in the US.
Organizers expect many participants from neighboring states, along with Washington state lawmakers, and they plan to have several guest speakers knowledgeable in religion, culture, tradition, education, law, history and deportation issues.
One of those guest speakers, Ros Darachan, said she was planning to discuss parenting skills, which can be quite different between the US and Cambodia.
Cambodian parents usually advise their children to respect their siblings, parents and elders and to speak morally, while they rarely show love to their children, worrying they may misbehave, she said.
“American parents like to encourage and show love to their children, so that children will show love back to their parents,” she said.
The Cambodian cultural forum will also present a photo slideshow of Cambodian traditions, such as the delivery of a child, first-year baby photos, and wedding and funeral ceremonies.
Washington state has the third-largest population of Cambodians, after California and Massachusetts.
“We hope and believe that all our brothers and sisters will learn from each other, understand each other and travel into the future together, with strong solidarity and a good alliance,” Yon Saray, a participant in the forum, said.
Meanwhile, the Cambodian community in Lowell, Mass., plans to have its own festivities Aug. 15, with a boat festival that has been running since 1997. The festival will include exhibitions, classical dance and traditional modeling.
The Lowell boat festival sees participants of many nationalities, with competitors from Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and the US joining the Cambodian hosts. But while participants and onlookers from many states usually attend, Cambodia has failed in recent years to field any boats. Many people say this is because of a lack of care

Hun Sen Chides Mu Sochua’s Appeal Decision

By Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh13 August 2009
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday appeared to mock opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua, saying she made a mistake by suing him and forcing him to defend himself in a suit of his own.
Mu Sochua was fined for defamation earlier this month after she brought a suit against the premier for allegedly sexist remarks in a speech in April. Mu Sochua has vowed to appeal the decision.
“You were doing press conferences and filed a complaint against me, but now I’ve won the case in the municipal court,” Hun Sen said at a graduation speech in Phnom Penh, in apparent reference to Mu Sochua, who is the Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker for Kampot province.
“[They] said I sued a woman. Why can’t I?” Hun Sen said. “Can’t women make mistakes? [She] said she represents women; this type of woman can’t represent women; don’t make yourself so strong.”
“Now I said this,” the premier continued. “If you file another complaint, go ahead. I will continue by filing another complaint.”
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said the party supported Mu Sochua’s decision to appeal.
“The Sam Rainsy Party fully supports Mu Sochua,” he said. “Any decision she consciously makes will get the party’s support.”

Lawmaker Worried Over Recent Hun Sen Remarks

By Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer Original report from Washington14 August 2009
A new round of barbs opened between an opposition lawmaker and Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday, with the Sam Rainsy Party’s Mu Sochua cautioning the premier to curb rhetoric about a crackdown on the opposition.
On Wednesday, Hun Sen responded to critics of the government by saying he had the power to eliminate the opposition through force in only two hours but hadn’t.
“I as the prime minister use the court of law, and it is the same as the armed forces if it is not allowed,” Hun Sen told a forum in Phnom Penh. “Is it the rifles or what? I only need two hours to take over all of Phnom Penh. If you want to try, from this hour, I only need two hours, not longer than that, to grab you all.”
Mu Sochua, who is in the US, told VOA Khmer Thursday she was “horrified” by the comments.
“I think that such language should not be used at all, especially by a leader,” she said.
Mu Sochua was fined earlier this month in a suit brought by Hun Sen after she charged he had defamed her in a derogatory speech in April.
She has said she will appeal the decision, which spot-lighted alleged political bias in the courts.
The government and the courts have come under increased scrutiny lately, following a rash of court cases against opposition lawmakers, journalists and rights workers that critics say could mark a crackdown on government dissent.