A Change of Guard

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Friday 28 November 2008

Cambodian government’s reactions to the statement of Global Witness


Radio Free Asia
By Huy Vannak
27th November, 2008
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization

Cambodian government officials and parliamentarians on Thursday have criticised the recent statement of Global Witness by saying that it is a political and a vindictive statement.

The swift reactions from the Cambodian officials happened after the London-based Global Witness has launched an attack on the Cambodian government on Wednesday which urged the donor countries to pressure the government to stop granting the oil and mineral concessions until the Cambodian parliament has ratified the investment laws regarding these two resources.
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But a government spokesman and Minister of Information, Mr. Khieu Kanharith (pictured), criticised the Global Witness report. He said: “They (Global Witness) always take an anti-government position because they have deviated from their original policy and turned themselves into a political party that is anti-government. This is so because we have cancelled their contract as a forestry monitor for us. So since then, they hated us and were angry with us until now. So, what Global Witness had said is nothing new. But we have seen and the donor countries have seen what we have achieved are better than Global Witness’s which has no offices in Cambodia but only made a political statement.”

Mr. Cheam Yeap, a parliamentarian from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party has also criticised the Global Witness report. He said: “Global Witness which is based in London does not love Khmer more than the Khmer people. So, what they (Global Witness) has raised are for the purpose of supporting the opposition Sam Rainsy Party. Whenever the donor countries meet to provide aid to us, they (Global Witness) always come to create obstacle in order to stop them from giving aid to Cambodia.”

In the last few years, Global Witness has always released its report at the same time when the donor countries meet to provide aid to Cambodia which this year Cambodian planned to request around $US500 million in pledges.

Before the Donor Summit last year, Global Witness has released its damning report on Cambodia’s deforestation titled “Family Tree of the Kleptocratic Elites”. In the new report the same Global Witness has criticised that the governance in Cambodia is still very weak.

Please note that, from 2010 Cambodia is expected to extract oils and gases which are expected to amount to between 400-700 million barrels.//

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