(PHNOMH PENH):


1.
GVs Damaged hotels in Phnom Penh undergoing repair (2 shots)
0.19

2.
GV Other bomb-damaged buildings
0.24

3.
GVs Health workers sweeping streets of capital (4 shots)
0.51

4.
SV Red Cross van and World Health Organisation insignia (2 shots)
1.00

5.
SV People sweeping streets
1.04

6.
GV Market stall with fruit and vegetables (4 shots)
1.26

7.
SV Fish prepared for sale in market (2 shots)
1.30

8.
SV Meat stall (3 shots)
1.42


(PREY VENG):


9.
TV Boat going down river
1.50

10.
GV Ship from Singapore (named Andromeda) unloading supplies (2 shots)
1.58

11.
SV Boxes of foodstuffs being unloaded (UNICEF insignia on boxes come from Japan and Denmark) (5 shots)
2.37

12.
GV Damaged bridge
2.42

13.
GV Bridge dismantled and repaired (4 shots)
3.04


(PREK KNOT):


14.
GV Unfinished dam in Kompong Speu province
3.09

15.
SV & GV Australian official from Freedom from Hunger Campaign, looking at dam (2 shots)
3.20

16.
CU Insignia on car (FFCH, Australian Agriculture Ministry)
3.28

17.
SV Bullet holes in engine covers of electric engines which operate dam (3 shots)
3.34

18.
GV PAN Surrounding countryside, paddy fields, concrete crushing plant (2 shots)
3.52

19.
SVs elephant moving tree trunk in lumber yard, mechanical saw in operation (4 shots)
4.38




Initials RdeL/BB





Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The Kampuchean economy is emerging for its crisis situation. In the capital, Phnom Penh, rebuilding work continues, including the refurbishment of government-owned hotels badly scarred by shelling several years ago. City life is resuming its former activity with the return of the population from their enforced exile to the country under the former Khmer rouge regime. The influx of people has created new hazards. Health workers funded by the Red Cross and the World Health Organisation are involved in a massive clean-up campaign in the city streets. The problem is partly caused by the growth of street trading. There appears to be plentiful supplies of foodstuffs of all kinds in the street markets of Phnom Penh, but prices are high. An average government worker's salary is around 15 dollars a month. With a kilo (two pounds) of meat costing three dollars, fish two dollars and sugar at one dollar it is not surprising there is a thriving black market, and people supplement their incomes in any way they can. Food aid continues to arrive, but there has been dissatisfaction among donor countries following allegations that supplies were diverted to vietnamese troops and that rice given to supplement salaries was being resold. The agriculture of the country has made good progress since the famine four years ago, but there is still widespread malnutrition in rural area. The ruling Heng Samrin regime has not achieved United Nations recognition, so aid is restricted to food supplies while development funds are being phased out. This means key ingredients to support agriculture such as fertilizers, pesticides and vaccines for livestock will no longer be provided. Agricultural stability remains fragile and bad harvest could reverse the situation. Other efforts to return the country to normality continue. Bridges are being rebuilt and repaired to improve communications and the unfinished dam at Prek Knot is being completed with Australian aid. This project was abandoned during the fighting inn 1974 when most of the operating
mechanisms were destroyed. The dam, 65 kilometres (40 miles) from Phnom Penh, is part of an irrigation restoration programmed funded by the Australian Freedom from Hunger Campaign. They will also supervise the installation of diesel engine alternators to work the dam gates. the Kampuchean economy struggles on with a blend of traditional and modern methods: paddy fields worked by hand exist next to mechanised concrete crushing plant. As in the lumber yard the old new worlds complement each other. While elephants move tree trunks, a modern mechanical saw is ready to complete the work.