Lucrative support for Vietcong army-owned businesses in Nambodia by Hun Xen's regime?

VN eager to discuss defence co-operation

29/05/2012
VNN

Viet Nam would actively engage in discussions at the sixth ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM6) to help make it a success.

The fruitful outcomes of this meeting would further contribute to promoting peace, stability, co-operation and development in the region.

The remarks were made by Minister of Defence Phung Quang Thanh during a bilateral meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Tea Bank in Phnom Penh yesterday, May 28.

On this occasion, Thanh expressed his thanks for the support of the Cambodian Government, Defence Ministry and Cambodian Royal Army towards Vietnamese military-owned enterprises operating in Cambodia.

[Vietcong] Metfone’s major fibre expansion

Buddhist monks walk past a shop selling Metfone top-up cards on Street 240 in Phnom Penh yesterday. (Photo by: Heng Chivoan)

Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Tom Brennan and Don Weinland
The Phnom Penh Post

Metfone has claimed to control more than 80 percent of Cambodia’s fibre-optic network, allowing it to reach every commune in the Kingdom.

The firm said it contributed 16,000 kilometres of fibre-optic backbone to Cambodia’s total of about 20,000 kilometres, citing a February report from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. The last 20 percent was split between Telecom Cambodia and Cambodia Fibre Optic Communication Network Company (CFOCN), the company said.

Metfone, which is owned by Viettel, a subsidiary of the Vietnamese military, claimed its cable deployment, all of which has been done since the company received an investment licence in 2006, was “13 times as high as the total national optical backbone developed by the whole country during previous 10 years”.

The [Vietnamese] Metfone ISP discriminates against KI-Media?

17 June 2011
Originally posted at http://learn4khmer.wordpress.com/2011/06/17/metfone-vs-kimedia/
Translated from Khmer by Ossdey
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

As we already know, the Metfone Co. is a rather popular phone company because it provides reasonable Internet access price. In the past, this company was accused by its Internet users because it is biased against the www.ki-media.blogspot.com, however, this issue was rejected by both the government and the Metfone Co. which claimed that there is no policy against shutting down this website.

However, recently, I also expressed in my various opinions that this website should not continued to be closed, but that it should change its domain name. Regarding this issue, I am not certain if thing is happening as what I complained about because I do not use Metfone as my ISP. Coincidentally today, during my lunch, I decided to use my laptop with the Free WIFI access provided by the restaurant. I proceeded to check the KI-Media website, but to my surprise, when I accessed KI-Media, I ended reaching the everyday.com.kh website instead.

Immediately, it occurred to me that Metfone must have been the Internet service provider for the restaurant. So I decided to ask an employee of the restaurant and the person confirmed to me that it was indeed the Metfone ISP. I attempted to open the KI-Media website several times, but the problem remains the same.

Therefore, you wonder if the Metfone Co. is really discriminating against KI-Media or not? For one thing, we know that Metfone is Vietnamese investment company.

KI-Media is popular website that usually openly criticizes the government. Earlier on, it was blocked once already, but numerous users complaints about [this blocking]. Currently, all websites hosted by blogspot can be accessed normally, with the single exception for KI-Media because when you try to reach ki-media.blogspot.com, the user is automatically transferred to everyday.com.kh instead.

Now, there is no need to worry about this company anymore, even if a website is blocked, you can still access it normally by using one of the following proxy server websites:

1. http://www.hidemyass.com
2. http://www.anonymizer.com
3. http://www.wujie.net
4. http://www.ultrareach.net
5. http://surfshield.net
6. http://www.guardster.com/subscription/proxy_free.php
7. http://anonymouse.ws/anonwww.html
8. http://www.browser-x.com
9. http://www.spysurfing.com
10. http://www.xerohour.org/hideme

These proxy server websites can open any blocked websites, for example, at my workplace, all access to Facebook has been blocked and cannot be accessed, but by the using the proxy server above, you can access any website you want.

Viet army's Viettel (and Merde-fone) settle in the Viet colony of Nambodia

Merde-fone ad in Sihanoukville

Viettel wins Cambodian hearts and minds

May, 17 2011
VNS (Hanoi)

KI-Media Note: Merde means excrement in French. Metfone had been rebaptized "Merde-fone", courtesy of Heng Soy

Viettel's MetFone boldly went where no firm had gone before – the Cambodian countryside. The move ushered in a telecom revolution. Pham Hoang Nam reports.

One day in late 2008, new graduate Tevy Lim chanced upon a recruitment notice from a new telecom company that said it wanted to offer services to all Cambodians, even those living in remote areas.

She decided to apply, mostly out of curiosity to see how long the company, MetFone, could survive in a market where seven big international operators were already present.

She tells Viet Nam News an interesting story about her job interview when she was asked by the interviewer if she believed MetFone could grow. She promptly replied "Impossible".

Xok An accepts to help the deputy chairman of Viettel, the Vietnamese army telco

Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Kampuchea Thmei
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Xok An, the vice-PM and minister of the Council of Ministers, held a working session with Hong Anh Xung, the deputy chairman of the Vietnamese Viettel Company on 07 September 2009, at the office of the Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh. [KI-Media note: Viettel is owned by the Vietnamese army].

During the meeting, Xok An highly valued the cooperation between Cambodia and Viettel, including the installation of fiber optic cables between Phnom Penh and various provinces to respond to the needs of information technology. This allowed the government to set up an e-government system that was put to work by the city of Phnom Penh, as well as by other provinces. The e-government system was put to use by the city of Phnom Penh to register vehicles, as well as for land registration, etc… Furthermore, the network established between Phnom Penh and various provinces allowed Nida, the government National Information Communication Technology Department, to prepare material and human resources for the setup of the e-government system.

Xok An also underscored the fact that Hun Xen agreed to install videoconference equipments at two locations of the Council of Ministers office.

Hong Anh Xung indicated that Viettel respects all the Cambodian investment law in order to preserve its long-lasting cooperation. He indicated also that not only the Vietnamese investment serves the commercial interest, but it also serves the good relationship between Cambodia and Vietnam as well, as this relationship is a historical one. He added that Viettel will continue to help Cambodia in the electronic field, and the Cambodian army is helped in the electronic field by Viettel also. Viettel will do its utmost so that Cambodians will use its good telephone services which carry a decent price.

VN admits that its defense minister is engaged in economic activities, most likely the telephone co., the rubber plantations etc... in Cambodia also

Vietnam's Defense Ministry not to manage economic entities any longer

HANOI, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's Defense Ministry is expected, by 2012, to no longer manage its agencies and enterprises which engage in economic activities, according to local newspaper Young People on Wednesday.

"We should separate (economic activities from defense ones) to focus on training, and building up a modern regular army," Defense Minister Phung Quang Thanh said at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Vietnam's top legislature, on Tuesday.

He said his ministry will hand over all defense entities which engage in economic activities to other ministries for management, maybe in 2012.

According to the White Paper on Vietnam's National Defense Early Years in the 21st Century issued by the country in 2005, Vietnam advocates combining the national defense build-up with economic development while strengthening the national defense capabilities, coordinating activities in national defense, security and diplomacy.

Also, it consistently advocates neither joining military alliance nor allowing foreign countries to have military bases in its territory.