Letter from the King of Cambodia, H.M. Sisowath,
to the French Colonial Governor in Cambodia
(5 November 1906)

Kingdom of Cambodia
No. 205

Office of the King
H.M. Preah Bat Samdech Preah SISOWATH Cham-Chakrapong Hakrireach Barminthor Phuvanay Kraykeofa Soulalay Preah Chao Krong Kampuchea Thippadey, King of Cambodia

To the Governor of the French Republic in Cambodia,
Phnom Penh

Mr. Governor,

At a time when France, our benefactor, is busy with the delimitation of the border of Cambodia with the former Cambodian provinces abducted by Siam, I believe that it is my duty to send you the following observations and reservations, and I am also asking you to please let these be known, at an opportune time, to the delimitation Commission which will start its works and submit them to the Government of the (French) Republic. My delegates within this Commission are also in charge of supporting the same demands in front of the Commission.

1- In reality and incontestably, the cession to Siam by France of the former Khmer provinces which have just been re-attached to Cambodia – such as Stung Treng, Tonle Ropov, M’lou Prey, Krat and Koh Kong – cannot provide legitimate satisfaction to Cambodians given the circumstances in which the Siamese occupied these territories by force and by hypocrisy during the time when Cambodia was at the mercy of Annam (Vietnam) and Siam. By returning back these provinces (to Cambodia), the Siamese are only divesting what they took and detained against all rights of the people [of Cambodia], and that they do not want to keep them much longer because the lack of importance of these districts cannot compensate their costs of their exploitation, administration and maintenance.

2- We insist on the former natural limits of the Khmer Kingdom which, prior to the Siamese invasion, included on Siam’s side the provinces of Battambang, Siem Reap, Stung Treng, Tonle Ropov, M’lou Prey, Kuckhan [currently known as Sisaket], Prey Sar, Soren [Surin], Sankeac [Sangka], Neang Rong, Nokoreach Seima (Korat), beyond the Phnom Dangrek Mountain, Koh Kong, Krat and Chantabor (Chantaboun [Chantaburi]) touching upon Bacnam and the Kingdom of Champassac (Passac).

All these provinces are still populated by Cambodians and they preserve their absolute Khmer patriotism.

3- The richest provinces of Cambodia are precisely Battambang and Siem Reap; in the latter province, (temple) ruins of our Kingdom old powerful capital still subsist, they are shining proof of the magnificence of our ancestors. These two provinces, just like the others, were never given to Siam by any of my predecessors, and our claims in view of their return back to Cambodia have never ceased and will never cease as long as we do not receive satisfaction in this regard. Our past numerous claims are testimonials to this effect.

Independently to all historical justifications which confirm our rights on these two provinces, the 15 July 1867 Treaty concluded between France and Siam mentioned that the December 1863 Treaty, allegedly concluded between the Kingdoms of Cambodia and Siam, was annulled and that Siam renounces forever all vassalage from the part of Cambodia. Therefore, this clause completely disengaged Siam from the Khmer Kingdom, which, by this treaty, should recover all her territorial integrity, and if the then-French diplomats – through Article 4 of this same 15 July 1867 treaty – consented, without consulting the Cambodian Government or the Cochinchina Governor, that the provinces of Battambang and Siem Reap remained with Siam, they were absolutely being cheated by the Siamese in their persuasion of the existence of an alleged treaty unknown to the Cambodians, and within Siam’s rights and value of these territories. I am adding, that to my knowledge, this alleged treaty concluded on December 1863 between Cambodia and Siam never regularly existed and that it is only fair to provide us with satisfaction. In fact, in spite of our profound and sincere gratitude towards the protectorate Government, we cannot prevent ourselves from wondering whether such diplomatic action to get rid of our assets, behind our back and without our consent, could last.

In all cases and irrespective of the results of the works [accomplished] by the current Commission, and the ulterior diplomatic actions regarding our borders with Siam, not including the cession by Cambodia of her valuable provinces of Battambang and Siem Reap – along with all its dependences –, we are asking to reserve forever, for us and all our successors, the right to prevail our demands until full justice and satisfaction are given to us.

These are, Mr. Governor, the observations and the reservations that I make it as my duty to send to you, while assuring you that they perfectly represent the unanimous feelings of my Government and those of my people. Beyond our strong attachment to these provinces – the irregular detention of which is a real heartache for all the Cambodian people – you are aware of all the difficulties resulting from this detention that our neighbors are continuously creating through the encroachments of our territory, the robberies, the plundering actions and the daily crimes committed in our country by perpetrators who can easily find refuge on their side where they remained unpunished. These acts are actually taking place as they have been proven by the reports from your [French provincial] Governors and our provincial Governors. I believe that this situation which is absolutely prejudicial to all public security principle will become worst as long as the provinces of Battambang and Siem Reap, the most contiguous ones to Cambodia, are not returned to us.

Please accept, Mr. Governor, the assurance of my highest regards.

Done in our Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Monday, the 4th day of the waning moon of the 2nd month of the Cholasakrach 1268, of the year of the Momi (Horse) Atthasak, the third of the reign, i.e. the 5th of November 1906 of the Christian calendar.

(Signed): Sisowath
Copy: The Cabinet Chief
(Signed) Unreadable

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Phnom Penh - Cambodia's efforts to attract high-end tourists by developing a world class golfing scene in the space of just a few years appears to have paid off, with a major regional golf tour company preparing to showcase the courses in Europe. Golfasian, which is based in Thailand, said it would promote Cambodia alongside neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam at the International Golf Travel Market in Marbella, Spain from November 11-14.

Cambodia will be marketed as an exciting new regional golf destination at the event, billed as the world's premier golf travel expo and credited with making or breaking emerging hot destinations, it said.

At last year's event, neighbouring Vietnam won the International Association of Golf Tour Operators' World's Best Up-and-Coming Golf Destination award and has since reaped plenty in golfing tourism dollars. Cambodia is in the midst of a tourism boom and is keen to earn similar recognition in the lucrative golf tourism market.

"Golf holidays in Cambodia are a new introduction, yet pioneering golfers are finding it a fascinating country in which to play a few rounds," Golfasian says on its website.

"Cambodia doubled its number of luxury golf courses last year to four and hopes to have eight by 2010 in a bid to lure more high-end tourism from the fast-growing sport in Asia."

Golfing legend Nick Faldo's company designed a PGA-standard course in Siem Reap, the country's tourist hub about 300 kilometres north of the capital, where golfers are offered the chance to tour the world-famous Angkor Wat temple complex between rounds.

And Arnold Palmer Design Company, named after its famous founder, is currently building a 36-hole course for a new billion-dollar five-star resort in Bokor, 200 kilometres south of the capital.

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Cambodia's government says the kingdom may develop its first nuclear power plant as early as 2020.

It says with hydropower and coal capacity expected to peak in the next decade, nuclear energy is the best option for the country.

A secretary of state for the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, Sat Samy says Cambodia's nuclear plans are in line with efforts by ASEAN to promote atomic energy among member states.

Asean energy ministers reached a joint agreement last year in Bangkok to pursue new sources of power for the region's growing electricity needs.

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The Prime Minister brought up the imminent adoption of a civil society law, believing that “terrorists” might try to settle in Cambodia under the disguise of non-governmental organisations.

During his speech about general politics, the Prime Minister highly criticised the NGO workers who are against the adoption of a law on NGO’s in Cambodia.
Friday morning, 26 September, during a five-hour speech, Hun Sen declared that: “The NGO workers are trying to teach us a lesson by asking us to respect the law, but they refuse the adoption of a law on NGO’s. It’s unfair”.

According to him, Cambodia is a legally constituted State and it’s thus necessary to know “the origin, the resources and the activities of those NGO’s”. In support of his remarks, Hun Sen brings up a quite surprising argument because he fears that “terrorists might settle in the Kingdom under the disguise of NGO’s”.

And while he was at it, he brushed away the accusations from the civic society, which he believes are directed to him. “The NGO’s are forced to insult the government in order to obtain funding. I told Kofi Annan, former General Secretary of the United Nations, that I lost the hope of reading positive reports concerning Cambodia when they’re written by the specialised human rights organisation or by local human rights NGO’s”, said the Government leader.

After attacking the NGO’s, in the best of form, he then accused the oil company which was asking the government for subsidies during the first three years of activities. “The long noses” aren’t always smart. They’re giving us advice on how to use the oil money, but this is of no interest to us. What is important is how to make our resources profitable”, continued Hun Sen.

In order to challenge his opponents, he then brought up the accusations of corruption around the management of these natural resources. “When five companies are competing, it’s unavoidable to be criticised by the four companies which lost out. The United States are careful not to attack us concerning this case because the American company Chevron will manage the Cambodian oil resources”, declared Cambodia’s strongman.

Finally, Hun Sen asked the CPP elected representatives to be aware of their responsibility: “During this new mandate, you won’t be able to blame Funcinpec when the time comes to make an assessment”, he warned.

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By Gary Crosse
NEW YORK, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Abandoned as a child in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge's murderous reign, Somaly Mam has no memory of her family and doesn't know her true age or name. But she recalls when she was sold to a brothel.

She traces a dramatic and haunting journey from sex slave to crusader against forced prostitution in her newly released memoir, "The Road of Lost Innocence," which reads like a Dickensian tale of triumph over adversity.

Remarkably, she does not see her path from a remote mountain region of Cambodia to an international campaigner as awe-inspiring.

"I never feel that way, I'm still Somaly. I used to work in the fields and now I help victims," she told Reuters in an interview.

Born in the early 1970s, she fleetingly recalls the Khmer Rouge's rule, when an estimated 1.7 million people were executed or died of torture, starvation or disease during a disastrous four-year agrarian revolution in the late 1970s.

Set adrift, she was taken in by an elderly man whom she called "grandfather," an honorific title that belied his cruel character. When she was about 16 years old, he sold her to a brothel to pay off his debts.

FIRST HOT SHOWER

Held captive for years, she watched in horror as the brothel owner one day shot a girl in the head for insolence -- one of many acts of violence in Cambodia's notorious sex trade where poor families sometimes sell a daughter to pay debts.

Laws to prevent abuse against women are poorly enforced.

With the help of a Swiss patron employed by a nongovernmental organization, Mam paid the brothel owner $100 to let her go, one of the few ways women can leave safely.

At his hotel, she experienced her first hot shower. "He ... turned on a shiny thing, like a snake, and it flashed to life, spitting at me ... That was the first time I ever used proper soap, and I remember how good it smelled, like a flower," she writes.

Mam eventually married and lived in France for a time before returning to Cambodia determined to help "the girls" in whatever way she could. She started by distributing condoms and soap -- both of which were rarely available in Cambodia's brothels.

Shunned in their home villages, Mam and others formed a shelter for women and girls, the Agir pour les Femmes En Situation Precaire -- Acting for Women in Distressing Situations (AFESIP).

The largely Spanish-funded grass-roots group expanded to neighboring Thailand and Laos, providing counseling, shelter and education on AIDS prevention. Its members also speak to men on the perils facing girls in the sex trade.

'WOMEN ARE NOT TOYS'

Future Group, a nongovernmental organization that combats human trafficking, estimates the number of prostitutes and sex slaves in Cambodia at up to 50,000, with at least 1 in 40 girls born in Cambodia expected to be sold into sex slavery.

Today, Mam travels the world raising money for the Somaly Mam Foundation to draw attention to forced prostitution, estimating that 2 million to 4 million women and children will be sold into the global sex trade in the next 12 months.

Legalization of prostitution is not the answer, she said, at least not in Cambodia.

"Women are not toys," she said. "All of us, we need equality. If you want to live with dignity, it is without prostitution, without this violence."

Fighting to close notorious brothels made her enemies in Cambodia. Shelters run by her group have come under armed attack and women have been abducted.

In 2006, Mam's teen-age daughter was kidnapped. She was eventually rescued, but Mam still faces threats in her battle against underworld figures who control the trade. Undaunted, she says the work is too important to walk away from.

"You know, these victims and me -- we have the same heart, the same body, the same pain," she said. "It's not just Cambodia. If I can help around the world, I'll do it."

(Editing by Jason Szep and Xavier Briand)

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PHNOM PENH, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Lightning strikes are deadlier than landmines now in Cambodia, according to figures from the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) and the Cambodia Mine Victim Information System (CMVIS), national media reported Monday.

The lightning toll is especially high this year, the Cambodia Daily newspaper said, citing Ros Sovann, an NCDM adviser.

Lightning has killed 77 Cambodians in 2008 so far, Ros Sovann said, adding that in Pursat province alone, lightning has killed 21 this year.

In contrast, landmines killed only nine Cambodians in the period from January to July 2008, according to Chhiv Lim, project manager at CMVIS.

Last year, when lightning deaths were closer to average, the lightning death toll was still far higher than that of landmines.

In 2007, lightning killed 45 Cambodians, while landmines killed26, according to the NCDM and CMVIS respectively.

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The William J. Clinton Foundation will help reforestation and avoided deforestation program in Cambodia, National Television TVK channel reported Saturday.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen supported that program and he recommended the Clinton Foundation to cooperation with Cambodia's forestry administration on that program, Ira Magaziner, representative of Clinton Foundation in charge of climate change, was quoted by TVK as saying.

The Clinton Foundation will help to preserve the forestry in Cambodia, Ira said.

Hun Sen said that Cambodia has six baby forestry breeding stations and each place has about five million baby trees.

The Clinton Foundation will implement the program in 2009, Country Director Zach Katz said, without elaborating the amount of the fund.

The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) is developing a regional forestry program covering Indonesia, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea.

Source: Xinhua

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Phnom Penh (VNA) - Cambodia has moved up 15 places in a World Bank (WB) report, Doing Business 2009, published on September 10. In 2007, Cambodia ranked 150 out of 181 economies worldwide, while this year the country rose to 135 out of 181 economies, according to the report.

The report explained that Cambodia's significantly higher standing is the result of reforms that make it easier for businesses to get credit and to close a business.

While much progress remains to be done in several areas, the report names Cambodia as the world's top reformer in easing access to credit.

These positive results showed that important reforms are being introduced leading to substantial improvement in Cambodia's ranking this year, said Stephane Guimbert, Senior Country Economist for the World Bank in Cambodia.

The rankings are derived from reviews of laws and regulations, and in-depth interviews with business service providers such as accountants and lawyers.

Doing Business surveys do not assess such areas as macro- economic policy, quality of infrastructure, currency volatility, investor perceptions or crime rates.-Enditem.

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PHNOM PENH, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and the United States will sign a trade, agriculture and industry deal on Sept. 15 when the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte visits here on Sept. 14-16, a senior official said Wednesday.

Negroponte's visit will make the two countries move a step forward for bilateral ties, said Sok An, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Council of Ministers.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Negroponte will preside over the signing ceremony of a grant aid project for 24 million U.S. dollars in health sector, he said, adding that the fund of the health project will be operated by NGOs but monitored by the Cambodian government.

During his trip, Negroponte will meet with government officials, opposition leaders and representatives of Cambodia's civil society, a press release from the U.S. embassy said earlier this week.

As the centerpiece of the visit, the deputy secretary of state plans to meet with Hun Sen, it said.

Cambodia's apparel exports to the U.S. totaled 1.16 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of the year, up from 1.13 billion U.S. dollars in the same period of 2007, according to official statistics.

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BANGKOK, Sept 12 (TNA) - Thailand's opposition Democrat Party denied being opportunistic in nominating its party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva as prime minister after the caretaker coalition government failed early Friday to appoint a new government leader due to the lack of a quorum in the House.

Mr. Abhisit said his party members attended Friday's session although it was unnecessary for them because it was the duty for members of the six-party in the coalition government to nominate a new prime minister.

The prime minister's post was vacated when Mr. Samak Sundaravej was removed from the post by the Constitution Court earlier this week for constitutional infractions, technicalities of receiving money for hosting cooking shows on commercial television and benefiting from commercial packaging of the materials.

While Mr. Samak stopped hosting the shows soon after being appointed prime minister on February 6, sales of the commercial products continued.

With no quorum in the House, the nomination of a new prime minister was postponed until Wednesday, but before the session adjourned, Democrat Party members proposed Mr. Abhisit as a candidate for prime minister under Article 173 of the 2007 charter.

Under the terms of the charter, a new prime minister must be elected within 30 days from the date the House is convened for the first sitting and the chief minister must obtain at least half of the 470 total votes in the House of Representatives.

If the House does not approve a prime minister, the Speaker will within 15 days of the end of the 30-day time frame present to the King the person who received the most votes to become prime minister by Royal Command.

Denying charges that some members of parties in the present coalition joining with the Democrats, Mr. Abhisit said his party "did not create problems" but was only "doing its duty" by proposing himself as prime minister according to the charter.

"Politics is abnormal now. It's not right to hold negotiations when a post is vacant. Thais are now killing each other and there are signs that more will be killed. There should be no more negotiations," Mr. Abhisit affirmed.

Asked about his response if the ruling People Power Party dissolved the House, he said the Democrats had proposed a House dissolution from the beginning. "How to do it depends on the situation."

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Dong Nai, Sept 12 (VNA) - The southern province of Dong Nai has begun construction on a 200-hectare applied bio-technology research centre, the first of its kind in Vietnam, with a total capital investment of 530 billion VND (32 million USD) in Cam Duong Commune, Cam My District.

The centre will be used to expand applied biotechnology researches to improve techniques on breeding high-quality plants and animals.

Researchers at the centre will expand biotechnology towards the diagnoses and treatment of diseases, preventive health, and environmental protection.

Moreover, scientists at the centre will look for ways to apply technology to agricultural production and develop networks connecting the business and farming communities to new cutting-edge researches.

Construction of infrastructure facility is scheduled to complete by 2010 to jumpstart the applied biotechnology research towards the development of various plants and animals.

The centre plans to build and develop biotechnology enterprises in order to provide products and service by 2020.

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept 12 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Thursday spoke highly of China's "good examples" in terms of economic development, urging the world's largest developing nation to share its experience with other developing economies.

As one of the fastest growing economies, China has shown "many good examples," Ban told a press conference at the UN Headquarters.

"These examples should be shared, transferred and emulated by many developing countries," he said.

The secretary-general said he was "very much encouraged and grateful" to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who has agreed to attend the UN high-level meeting on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) slated for Sept. 25.

Representatives from some 150 countries, including more than 90 heads of state or government, are expected to attend the event, which will be convened by Ban with the aim to generate further actions to reach the MDGs by 2015.

"I sincerely hope that member states will learn and China will be able to share their experience," he said.

Stressing that China's commitment to participating in MDG realization will be "crucially important," Ban noted that China has been hosting a forum on China-Africa cooperation for many years.

"They have been providing necessary economic and technological cooperation to many developing countries, and this is what we expect from other countries too," the UN chief added.

September's high-level meeting will be the first summit-level gathering on the MDGs since 2000, when world leaders committed to the goals laid out in the Millennium Declaration.

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BANGKOK, Sept 12 (TNA) - Thailand's opposition Democrat Party denied being opportunistic in nominating its party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva as prime minister after the caretaker coalition government failed early Friday to appoint a new government leader due to the lack of a quorum in the House.

Mr. Abhisit said his party members attended Friday's session although it was unnecessary for them because it was the duty for members of the six-party in the coalition government to nominate a new prime minister.

The prime minister's post was vacated when Mr. Samak Sundaravej was removed from the post by the Constitution Court earlier this week for constitutional infractions, technicalities of receiving money for hosting cooking shows on commercial television and benefiting from commercial packaging of the materials.

While Mr. Samak stopped hosting the shows soon after being appointed prime minister on February 6, sales of the commercial products continued.

With no quorum in the House, the nomination of a new prime minister was postponed until Wednesday, but before the session adjourned, Democrat Party members proposed Mr. Abhisit as a candidate for prime minister under Article 173 of the 2007 charter.

Under the terms of the charter, a new prime minister must be elected within 30 days from the date the House is convened for the first sitting and the chief minister must obtain at least half of the 470 total votes in the House of Representatives.

If the House does not approve a prime minister, the Speaker will within 15 days of the end of the 30-day time frame present to the King the person who received the most votes to become prime minister by Royal Command.

Denying charges that some members of parties in the present coalition joining with the Democrats, Mr. Abhisit said his party "did not create problems" but was only "doing its duty" by proposing himself as prime minister according to the charter.

"Politics is abnormal now. It's not right to hold negotiations when a post is vacant. Thais are now killing each other and there are signs that more will be killed. There should be no more negotiations," Mr. Abhisit affirmed.

Asked about his response if the ruling People Power Party dissolved the House, he said the Democrats had proposed a House dissolution from the beginning. "How to do it depends on the situation."

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BANGKOK, Sept 9 (TNA) - Thailand's Constitution Court ruled on Tuesday that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej must step down after he violated the country's supreme law by accepting payments for hosting TV cooking programmes while in office.

Shortly after the court justices announced their unanimously 9-0 'guilty' ruling, all sitting members of parliament of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) agreed unanimously to nominate Mr. Samak to the premiership in the upcoming session of parliament, according to Kuthep Saikrachang, party spokesman.

Whip Witthaya Buranasiri, a PPP member, said earlier his party was ready to accept the court ruling whether or not Mr. Samak was guilty on hosting two cooking programmes on two free TV stations.

The case was brought against him by a group of senators and Election Commission members in the belief that Mr. Samak had violated Article 267 of the 2007 charter.

Article 267 of the Constitution stipulates that the prime minister is prohibited from holding any position in a partnership, a company or an organisation carrying out business with an intention to sharing profit or income, or being an employee of any person.

Mr. Samak defended himself in the court on Monday that he appeared in the programmes only on a freelance basis, without seeking any remuneration.

Mr. Samak could return as prime minister if the five other parties in the coalition government nominate him because he still retains his membership in the House of Representatives and also as leader of PPP, Mr. Witthaya said.

"Executive members of the PPP will discuss with leaders of coalition partners to support Mr. Samak to remain as prime minister, although some have proposed that Chart Thai party leader Banharn Silpa-archa assume the post," said Mr. Witthaya.

Mr. Banharn is a former prime minister.

The court ruling came amid a number of mounting pressures for the prime minister to resign as anti-government protesters led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have occupied Thailand's Government House since August 26.

The coalition of self-described democracy-activist protesters vowed not to disperse until the premier calls it quits.

Mr. Samak was accused by the demonstrators of being a proxy of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who fled corruption charges to live in Britain with his wife and family.

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BANGKOK, Sept 9 (TNA) -- Thailand's Constitution Court on Tuesday ruled that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was found in violation of the Constitution due to his having hosted cooking shows on commercial television stations and that he must leave office together with his entire cabinet, becoming the first Thai prime minister to be thrown out by the court.

All nine judges of the Constitution Court voted unanimously that Mr. Samak, who took office on February 6 this year, was guilty because he had violated Article 267 of the Constitution, written by coupmaker-appointed legal and constitutional experts.

Article 267 stipulates that a prime minister is prohibited from holding any position in a partnership, firm or an organisation carrying out business with the intention to share profits or income, or being an employee.

Mr. Samak resigned from the two talk-and-cook show programmes shortly after he was appointed prime minister.

The court also ruled that Mr. Samak's cabinet could remain as a caretaker administration for 30 days until parliament elects a new prime minister.

However, Mr. Samak is not barred from being reelected prime minister, and his ruling People Power Party, as well as its coalition partners, have already voiced their support for him to run the country which continues to face political turbulence as anti-government protesters loyal to People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) who took control of Government House August 26 and have demanded that the government resign without condition.

Shortly after Thailand's Constitution Cout justices announced their unanimously 9-0 'guilty' ruling, all sitting members of parliament of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) agreed unanimously to nominate Mr. Samak to the premiership in the upcoming session of parliament, according to Kuthep Saikrachang, party spokesman.

Meanwhile, some anti-government demonstrators besieging Government House since August 26 to force the premier to resign, roared with cheers as they heard the court verdict, but the protesters said they would not call off their marathon protests which began May 25, saying they feared Mr. Samak would come back to run the country.

The embattled prime minister did not attend the court ruling as he chaired a cabinet weekly meeting in the northeastern province of Udon Thani.

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BANGKOK, Sep 5 (TNA) - Two Ramkamhaeng University students were shot by an unidentified gunman on a motorcycle on Thursday night are safe, but the police accelerate the investigation to find the gunman.

The two students were shot while they and other students were marching to the residence of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to pressure him to resign.

Pol. Maj-Gen. Wimon Pao-in Commander of Metropolitan Police 4 said that investigators at the Ladprao police station presumed that the motives of the shooting attack could relate to a conflict among students at their university, a brawl with young people in Klongchan housing community where they gathered before marching to Samak's residence, a political conflict, and a conflict with local residents nearby, who were dissatisfied with the noise of the crowd gathering.

According to four student witnesses, they said two attackers wearing black jackets riding a Yamaha motorcycle stopped near the student group and the passenger at the students and fled in the darkness. The police held a meeting to speed up their search for the gunman.

Gen. Wimon asked students not to gather at the Royal Thai Police headquarters to pressure the police, saying it would offend the emergency decree imposed in Bangkok. He urged students to cooperate with the police to find more witnesses to help the police solve the case.

About 100 strong policemen have guarded the Prime Minister's residence to tighten security measures, which have been imposed since the protest of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) occurred.

After the shooting Thursday night, a group of students gathered outside Ladprao police station. They dispersed and set a two week deadline for the police to find the wrongdoers. Otherwise, they will come back to stage a protest at the police station again.

The two students were reportedly in stable condition but are still in hospital.

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BANGKOK, Sept 5 (TNA) - Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej suggested Thursday that a new referendum may be conducted for voters nationwide to decide whether or not he should step down as vehemently pressed by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) which seized and occupied Government House since last week.

Mr. Samak said the anti-government protesters might continue to occupy Government House and urge other citizens to reject his elected government when they go to the polls for the proposed referendum which might be held as soon as early next month.

Speaking in a radio interview on Thursday, the premier repeatedly dismissed speculation that he would resign or dissolve the House of Representatives.

Instead, Mr. Samak said he was obliged to preserve democratic rule and find out whether or not most people will
eventually prefer to see him stay on or step down.

However, Mr. Samak said he would unconditionally follow the results of the proposed referendum which might
lead to his resignation as premier or dissolution of the House of Representatives to be followed by a general election in a 60-days time, should most peopleno longer prefer to keep him in power.

The state of emergency recently declared for Bangkok and enforced by Army chief Gen. Anuphong Phaochinda would be called off to provide conveniences for the proposed public referendum, according to the premier.

Government Spokesman Wichianchote Sukchotirat called on senators to approve legislation on public referendum, scheduled to be tabled to the Senate Monday so that it could take place in the next 30 days.

He said the proposed referendum would by no means prolong or intensify the anti-government protests and occupation of Government House and confirmed that the situation has remained under control, given the
current state of emergency.

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BANGKOK, Sept 5 (TNA) - Political tensions simmering from the start of this year until September 4 have wiped out nearly Bt 1.5 trillion off Thai stock market trade, according to figures from the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).

Over the past nine months of rough political tides, foreign investors dumped shares worth Bt107 billion, resulting in a Bt1.46 trillion loss of market capitalisation, which now stands at Bt5.2 trillion compared to Bt6.6 trillion at the end of last year.

CitiCorp Securities analyst Thongmongkut Thongyai said most foreign investors are nervous that the political crisis in Thailand would drag on, and as a result have withheld placing purchase orders.

The latest developments with Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej digging in his heels to stay in power means continued anxiety on the part of foreign investors, who are fleeing to other emerging markets such as Indonesia, he said.

However, if the crisis is resolved, he is confident that the stock market will recover, though it is also possible that when market hits the low of 620 points, foreign investors might be lured to buy in cheap.

Meanwhile, analyst Wiwat Techapoonpol at Tisco Securities believes that foreign investors will continue to dump shares in Thailand as they move money to the US where there's demand for credit to ease the bad mortgage loan crisis.

Bualuang Securities managing director Worawan Tharapoom said most brokers are recommending value investors to collect cheap stocks and hang on to them for the long-term at least until the crisis is over.

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BEIJING, Sept 5 (Xinhua) -- It is feared the death toll in the 8.0-magnitude earthquake centered in Wenchuan County on May 12 in the southwestern Province of Sichuan will top 87,000, an expert said here on Thursday.

"The death toll for the quake had topped 69,000 by mid July, with another 18,000 missing," Shi Peijun with the National Wenchuan Earthquake Expert Committee told a press conference Thursday morning.

"Given that it has been three months since the deadly earthquake struck, the hope of survival for those missing is very slim," Shi said.

More than 87,000 are feared dead combining the two figures together, he said.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao also said on Tuesday that the death toll for the deadly quake had topped 80,000 at a press conference held in Yingxiu, one of the worst-hit township at the epicenter Wenchuan County.

In addition, direct economic losses for the May 12 earthquake hit 845.1 billion yuan (about 121 billion U.S. dollars).

The southwestern province of Sichuan where the quake was centered suffered the most, accounting for 91.3 percent of the total direct economic losses, Shi said.

Its neighboring provinces Gansu and Shaanxi accounted for 5.8 and 2.9 percent of the losses, respectively.

More than 70 percent of the losses came from damaged dwelling buildings, school and hospital facilities and infrastructure such as roads and bridges.

Another press conference would be held on Thursday afternoon to provide more specific figures, according to the Information Office of the State Council. (Xinhua)

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BANGKOK, Sept 5 (TNA) - The Thai government's special cabinet meeting Thursday agreed in principle to hold a referendum to seek public opinion on a solution to end political crisis.

The meeting was convened by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej at the Royal Thai Armed Forces headquarters, after he had explained his stance on the latest situation through a state-run radio station in the morning.

Government Spokesman Wichienchote Sukchoterat elaborated that the Cabinet has approved in principle the referendum plan after the House of Representatives had approved the referendum bill which would be forwarded to the Senate on Monday.

If the Senate approves the proposed referendum, the process could begin within 30 days or early October. The Council of State will be assigned to draft a questionnaire for the referendum, according to Mr. Wichienchote.

Earlier, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Somsak Prisananantakul said the Chart Thai Party, a coalition partner of which he is deputy leader, had proposed a referendum to seek the public mind as to whether the government should stay on to perform its duty, or not.

Mr. Somsak said the party had made the proposal because it believed that the referendum process was democratic and could address the present crisis.

"It is alright if the People's Alliance for Democracy disagrees with the proposal, but we must heed the majority of the public.

"I believe it is worth spending (an allocation from the national) budget for the referendum when compared with losses of revenue and prestige which the country has got now," he said.

However, Sathit Wongnongtoey, the opposition Democrat party chief whip, disagreed with the move to hold a referendum.

Mr. Sathit argued that the bill enabling the referendum had yet to be enacted, and suggested that the best way to defuse the current political crisis was to dissolve the House and hold a general election.

Some ruling People Power Party MPs, however, welcomed the proposed referendum plan to seek public opinion.

Mr. Wichienchote dismissed criticism that the proposed referendum is a government political ploy to buy time, saying the current situation warranted the action as the anti-government rally has continued for over 100 days.

The spokesman reassured the public that the government could control the situation after the state of emergency has been enforced in the capital since Tuesday.

Meanwhile, People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leader Somsak Kosaisuk said the referendum would be unconstitutional and could not be used to solve the political crisis. He affirmed the PAD would continue its rallies.

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BANGKOK, Sept 4 (TNA) - Embattled Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej reasserted that he would not resign or dissolve parliament but vowed to stay in office "to protect democracy".

In his radio address Thursday morning, Mr. Samak said he would not bow to the demands of the anti-government protesters led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) that began its campaign against his government for more than 100 days since May 25.

The protesters have encamped in the Government House compound for 10 days to put pressure on Mr. Samak to resign.

"I will not quit. I will not dissolve parliament. I will stay to protect democracy and the monarchy," the Prime Minister reemphasised in an hour long special radio address on Radio Thailand.

He also said the five plus one core leaders of so-called democracy movement had no right to bring people to break into and occupy the Government House premises, and he urged the public who join the anti-government protest to rethink whether it was right to drive out a government that was democratically-elected.

The prime minister said that he accepted the resignation of Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag. He said the well respected diplomat had withstood political pressure from many directions, and that his wife was not well.

He added that Mr. Tej's wife was stressed by her husband's work with the beleaguered Samak government and she physically reacted by collapsing.

Mr. Samak also thanked Mr. Tej for doing a good job in helping the government and said he had no conflicts with him and would continue to maintain a good relationship.

Mr. Tej's departure came a day after the premier declared emergency rule on Tuesday after clashes between his supporters and anti-government protesters killed one man and injured 43.

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