កំណាព្យ ::: ប្រវត្តិសាស្រ្ត ::: ព័ត៍មាន ::: ចំរៀងខ្មែរ ::: :: September

News EnglishSeptember 1, 2008 1:35 pm

Students from quake-affected Dujiangyan City of Sichuan Province arrive at Shanghai Railway Station on August 31, 2008. They will study at vocational schools in Shanghai. (Photo: shanghaidaily.com)

BEIJING, Sept. 1 — A group of 1,286 students arrived in Shanghai Sunday from quake-hit Dujiangyan City of Sichuan Province to study in the city’s 24 vocational schools.

"We spend 38 hours on the train, while I kept wondering what Shanghai looks like. I’m very excited about studying for the next three years," said Xuan Chun, a 15-year-old student who graduated from Juyuan Middle School.

Majoring in computer numerical control, Xuan’s wish was to work hard at Shanghai Architectural Engineering School in Xuhui District, and to find a job after graduation.

While 526 of the students maintain their original majors, 760 freshmen have been assigned 30 key majors by the schools, covering processing, manufacturing and the service industry.

"The majors have been selected to cover the demand for talent to rebuild Dujiangyan, students’ requirements and Shanghai’s talent shortage," said Wang Xiangqun, chief of vocational education at Shanghai Education Commission. "For those who are willing to work in Shanghai after graduation, job aid will be provided."

Wen Yanqi, a 16-year-old girl, said it was a challenge for her to take logistics as her major at Shanghai Donghui Vocational School.

"I’m touched by Shanghai government’s support for us, otherwise we wouldn’t have the opportunity to study here."

They will receive Shanghai Education Commission certificates after they complete their studies but won’t be able to take college entrance examinations in the city.

Every year, each student will receive a tuition subsidy of 4,000 yuan (US$584.10), 500 yuan for books and a grant of 1,000 yuan. With free accommodation, students living below the poverty line will receive a daily 17-yuan subsidy, and the others will receive 10 yuan a day.

"From the moment they stepped onto the train, Shanghai has been their second home," Wang said. "We will cultivate these students into skillful talent."

News English 1:30 pm

Thai Parliament debate for peaceful solution for political turmoil

BANGKOK, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) — A special bicameral parliament session continued on Sunday evening, aiming at sorting out a peaceful solution for Thailand’s ongoing political turmoil.

The session opened at 1:30 p.m. (0630 GMT), chaired by parliament president and House Speaker Chai Chidchob.

A total of 460 elected members in the House of Representatives and senators attended the session.

MPs of opposition Democrat Party and some senators blamed Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and his cabinet for causing the current political tension. Some, including opposition spokesman Jurin Laksanavisit, suggested Samak should resign as the protesters demanded to defuse the tension.

Samak replied that he had done nothing wrong as premier, so there was no reason for him to resign.

On the other hand, some MPs from the Samak-led People Power Party bombarded the anti-government civil group People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) who led protesters to seize a state-run TV station, the government seat, ministries’ offices and stormed police headquarters and airports in three southern tourist-significant provinces in the last few days, which they said have constituted a coup d’etat.

More than 1,000 pro-government demonstrators gathered outside the parliament in the afternoon to voice support for Samak.

The debate is expected to last till midnight.

The urgent parliament session was called as thousands of PAD-led protesters on Sunday continued their occupation in and around the Government House, which they seized on Tuesday in a so-called "final showdown" to oust the government led by Samak, and the tension exacerbated on Friday when violent clashes occurred between the police and protesters.

Earlier on Sunday in his weekly TV and radio address, Prime Minister Samak reiterated that he has no fear of the mass protests led by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) that pressed for his resignation. He vowed to stay on as premier, but said he had no intention to dissolve the parliament.

He also criticized the media and some senators for taking sides with the PAD for suggesting his resignation in the past days.

PAD leaders have voiced support for the opposition Democrat Party to form a government after they succeeded to topple the Samak government.

News English 1:27 pm

300 Chinese tourists stranded in Phuket

BEIJING, Sept. 1 — More than 300 Chinese tourists have been stranded in Phuket since Friday because anti-government protesters have forced the suspension of services at the Thai island’s airport.

Demonstrators demanding the ouster of the Samak Sundaravej government have disrupted services at other Thai airports, too.

A Chinese embassy official in Bangkok said Sunday that efforts were being made to help the Chinese nationals return home. "Some of the Chinese tourists have already left Phuket by bus, and they will fly home from Bangkok," he said.

The Foreign Ministry issued a statement Sunday, saying it had asked the Thai government to ensure the safety of the Chinese tourists and arrange for their return flights as soon as possible.

About 15,000 passengers are stranded on the island resort since anti-government protesters took over the airport on Friday and forced the cancellation of nearly 120 flights a day.

Wu Jiaoli, public relations manager of Ctrip.com, a leading online hotel- and ticket-booking agent in China, said 50 of its customers were stranded in Phuket.

The company, however, has arranged for a bus to carry them to Bangkok and asked China Eastern Airlines to arrange for their return trip.

A stranded Beijing tourist surnamed Hou said she was running out of money and that her plane ticket had expired. "I am very worried But we are safe because the protesters are friendly to Chinese tourists."

She said her group reached Phuket on Aug 24 and was scheduled to return home on Friday. But protesters took over the airport on Thursday, when railway workers too joined the protests paralyzing train services on many routes.

A Chinese tour group’s woman member, surnamed Wang, said only one plane carrying some Western tourists had been able to fly out of Phuket since Friday following negotiations between protesters and airport officials.

She said members of a tour group from Zhejiang province were forced to sleep in the open on Saturday because they had run out of money.

China International Travel Service (Beijing) said three of its tour groups comprising 50 people had been stranded in Phuket, and it was trying to arrange for their return.

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