Sony Ericsson :: K618i - Not Turn On

My son-in-law is in Mozambique, Africa with the Peace Corps and his Ericsson k618i will not turn on, even with it plugged in. He has tried the suggesions of removing the memory card, and then he pulled the battery and cleaned the contacts well. All he gets with it plugged into the charger is the light on the phone blinking red (which is not mentioned in the manual either). Replacing the battery might be an option the next time they make the 12 hour trip to the capital from their remote village, but nothing in Mozambique is a sure thing when you are talking about spare parts.