Hun Sen Wants World Bank To Name Sources
By Kay Kimsong and Erik Wasson
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday urged the World Bank to name sources who have implicated government officials in the World Bank corruption scandal, saying the national police and military police would do their best to protect them.
If the Bank does not disclose the names of the witnesses, it will be hard to foresee how the government can repay the money that the Bank has requested, he said.
"We do not know how to pay back...if evidence and witnesses are not going to be used it will be a difficult issue," he said at the televised Government-Private Sector Forum held at the Council for the Development of Cambodia.
"Don't hide the witnesses," he said.
Hun Sen also called on the Bank's sources to publicly identify themselves if they are brave enough to do so, adding that he will thank them for their reporting.
"The National Police and military police will try to protect the witnesses," he added.
Hun Sen said the ministries of Agriculture, Transport, Industry, Rural Development, Land Management and Finance have all been implicated in the affair.
"You, Chan Sarun, are a thief. Sun Chanthol, a thief. Suy Sem, a thief. Lu Laysreng, a thief. Im Chhun Lim, a thief. Keat Chhon, a thief. One day they will say Hun Sen is a thief," he said, pointing to each of the respective ministers.
Even when Slobodan Milosevic, former president of Yugoslavia, and deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein went on trial, they had to face witnesses and evidence, Hun Sen continued.
He added that when Cambodia repaid $2.8 million to the Bank in 2005 over problems—which the Bank said were misprocurement—in a military demobilization project, there was also a lack of evidence. The Bank had targeted the demobilization project to undermine China, he said.
"If the company awarded a motorbike contract had not been Chinese, they would not have complained," he added. "They choke the Chinese and the Cambodian tongue comes out."
Hun Sen ordered Cabinet Minister Sok An to translate international audits of the demobilization project and broadcast on television what he called the Bank's unjust allegations. He also accused donors of having double standards and of condescending to Cambodia because it is poor.
Donors have made it clear that they expect a thorough government investigation into the World Bank allegations, a Phnom Penh-based foreign diplomat said on condition of anonymity.
"I don't think it does anyone any good to demand the names of the anonymous witnesses," the diplomat added.
Kek Galabru, president of local rights group Licadho, said the names of the Bank's witnesses cannot be revealed because their lives would be in danger.
"From my point of view, to release the names of the witnesses, it is impossible, because the national police is not going to protect the witnesses all their lives," she said.
If witnesses are ordered to identify themselves, they will not want to inform the Bank of malpractice in the future, she added.
Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay said the government should suspend the heads of the ministries implicated in the scandal. "If the ministers are still in power, the witnesses would not come out," he said. "The action that the government takes with the World Bank is completely wrong. In this case it is not necessary to show the face or names of the witness at all."
Political commentator Chea Vannath said the government seemed to be protecting corrupt officials.
"I don't think the government can fight corruption even if it takes 100 years. I think the government started with the wrong first step. It has to cooperate with the World Bank to investigate," she said.
World Bank officials did not respond to e-mails seeking comment on Wednesday. The Bank said in a Sunday statement that it had provided the government with specific proof of the irregularities, but had withheld some information to protect confidential sources.
If the Bank does not disclose the names of the witnesses, it will be hard to foresee how the government can repay the money that the Bank has requested, he said.
"We do not know how to pay back...if evidence and witnesses are not going to be used it will be a difficult issue," he said at the televised Government-Private Sector Forum held at the Council for the Development of Cambodia.
"Don't hide the witnesses," he said.
Hun Sen also called on the Bank's sources to publicly identify themselves if they are brave enough to do so, adding that he will thank them for their reporting.
"The National Police and military police will try to protect the witnesses," he added.
Hun Sen said the ministries of Agriculture, Transport, Industry, Rural Development, Land Management and Finance have all been implicated in the affair.
"You, Chan Sarun, are a thief. Sun Chanthol, a thief. Suy Sem, a thief. Lu Laysreng, a thief. Im Chhun Lim, a thief. Keat Chhon, a thief. One day they will say Hun Sen is a thief," he said, pointing to each of the respective ministers.
Even when Slobodan Milosevic, former president of Yugoslavia, and deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein went on trial, they had to face witnesses and evidence, Hun Sen continued.
He added that when Cambodia repaid $2.8 million to the Bank in 2005 over problems—which the Bank said were misprocurement—in a military demobilization project, there was also a lack of evidence. The Bank had targeted the demobilization project to undermine China, he said.
"If the company awarded a motorbike contract had not been Chinese, they would not have complained," he added. "They choke the Chinese and the Cambodian tongue comes out."
Hun Sen ordered Cabinet Minister Sok An to translate international audits of the demobilization project and broadcast on television what he called the Bank's unjust allegations. He also accused donors of having double standards and of condescending to Cambodia because it is poor.
Donors have made it clear that they expect a thorough government investigation into the World Bank allegations, a Phnom Penh-based foreign diplomat said on condition of anonymity.
"I don't think it does anyone any good to demand the names of the anonymous witnesses," the diplomat added.
Kek Galabru, president of local rights group Licadho, said the names of the Bank's witnesses cannot be revealed because their lives would be in danger.
"From my point of view, to release the names of the witnesses, it is impossible, because the national police is not going to protect the witnesses all their lives," she said.
If witnesses are ordered to identify themselves, they will not want to inform the Bank of malpractice in the future, she added.
Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay said the government should suspend the heads of the ministries implicated in the scandal. "If the ministers are still in power, the witnesses would not come out," he said. "The action that the government takes with the World Bank is completely wrong. In this case it is not necessary to show the face or names of the witness at all."
Political commentator Chea Vannath said the government seemed to be protecting corrupt officials.
"I don't think the government can fight corruption even if it takes 100 years. I think the government started with the wrong first step. It has to cooperate with the World Bank to investigate," she said.
World Bank officials did not respond to e-mails seeking comment on Wednesday. The Bank said in a Sunday statement that it had provided the government with specific proof of the irregularities, but had withheld some information to protect confidential sources.
5 comments:
Hun Sen is really a top corrupt people in Cambodia
He is nepotism, http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2006/06/rumor-mills-hun-sens-son-could-be.html
AH HUN SEN with the backing of the Vietcong and China and he don't a fuck about Cambodia or the World Bank! ahahah The World Bank don't even have a clue in what to do with AH HUN SEN! This is what happen when the international community look at Cambodia so lightly! The only person that is suffered the most are Cambodian people. Sometime, I wonder what does it take for all Cambodian to live normal as a human being!
Cambodian need to be radicalized for good or for worst!
Hun Sen! don't be so stupid you dumb head (translate to your father kid).
You need not to know the name of the witnesses, just investigate the cases if you are not involve, Dumbo!
yes..hun sen is a thief for real, the dog adopt from vietnam, to steal the cambodia treasures..eeyore
I heard that dr. Lu Laysreng fixed his back-yard for $100,000.00..do you think he got this money out of his pocket?..very funny right?..so how many poor khmers gonna pay the WB, and for how long...??? Eeyore!
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