News Briefs From Cambodia August 22, 2006

Royalist Funcinpec party's top official and Minister of Rural Development, Lu Lay Sreng continues to criticize Funcinpec party's president Prince Norodom Ranariddh's on-going position as leader of this party, saying there is not just one important person in any party.

This criticism was made after the prince told the party members that a number of persons want him to be honorary president, but Mr. Lu Lay Sreng does not want him to hold this position.

Mr. Lu told reporters Tuesday that he is not the prince's servant, and that Prince Ranariddh should not be the party's leader for life. He shows his unhappiness about the prince's leadership.

In another development, the U.S. government and the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) reached a milestone in establishing a permanent endowment with the transfer of $2 million to a special DC-Cam investment account.

The endowment is a gift from the American people, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), to allow DC-Cam to maintain its efforts in promoting awareness of the Khmer Rouge atrocities.

In another development about 200 people gather in front of Kandal province court protesting against the sentencing of 9 people accused of intentional property damages, say local human rights officials.

Mr. Snguon Nam Heng filed a complaint against the accused. Land merchants put hedges blocking pathways and the people cannot travel. Cambodia Center for Human Rights' (CCHR) investigation officer, Chuon Socheat says that the court's sentencing is groundless