By DPA
Phnom Penh - International donors are increasingly impatient with delays in implementation of a long-awaited anti-corruption law, German Ambassador to Cambodia Pius Fischer said Tuesday.
Fischer, who is the acting European Union (EU) president, called it an important issue for EU policy in Cambodia and could not be sidestepped.
'We strongly advocate the fight against corruption and the early adoption of an anti-corruption law in Cambodia,' he said after addressing a seminar on EU-Cambodian relations in Phnom Penh.
'We cannot debate any longer. For 10 years the royal Cambodian government has discussed a law against corruption. Now is the time to act and implement that law.'
Fischer also warned that implementation was as important as the law itself, and donors would be happy with no less than a politically independent anti-corruption body which can 'locate, integrate and develop cases against corruption.'
Endemic corruption has consistently been cited as a major hurdle to Cambodia's development.
Last November, Berlin-based Transparency International ranked Cambodia at 151 out of 163 countries in its 2006 corruption perceptions index survey.
The group made its ranking on a definition of corruption as 'the abuse of public office for private gain.' Cambodia scored just 2.1 points out of 10, earning it the second lowest position in Asia, ahead of only Myanmar.
Donors have repeatedly threatened to withhold funds from aid-dependent Cambodia if it continues to delay adopting the law. The government promised a new law by the end of last year but later announced that it needed to make changes to the penal code first.
As well as being an important donor to Cambodia, the EU is also a powerful trading partner, ranking as Cambodia's second most-important destination for exports and its sixth leading source of imports, according to 2005 trade statistics, with Germany at the top of the list.
Fischer, who is the acting European Union (EU) president, called it an important issue for EU policy in Cambodia and could not be sidestepped.
'We strongly advocate the fight against corruption and the early adoption of an anti-corruption law in Cambodia,' he said after addressing a seminar on EU-Cambodian relations in Phnom Penh.
'We cannot debate any longer. For 10 years the royal Cambodian government has discussed a law against corruption. Now is the time to act and implement that law.'
Fischer also warned that implementation was as important as the law itself, and donors would be happy with no less than a politically independent anti-corruption body which can 'locate, integrate and develop cases against corruption.'
Endemic corruption has consistently been cited as a major hurdle to Cambodia's development.
Last November, Berlin-based Transparency International ranked Cambodia at 151 out of 163 countries in its 2006 corruption perceptions index survey.
The group made its ranking on a definition of corruption as 'the abuse of public office for private gain.' Cambodia scored just 2.1 points out of 10, earning it the second lowest position in Asia, ahead of only Myanmar.
Donors have repeatedly threatened to withhold funds from aid-dependent Cambodia if it continues to delay adopting the law. The government promised a new law by the end of last year but later announced that it needed to make changes to the penal code first.
As well as being an important donor to Cambodia, the EU is also a powerful trading partner, ranking as Cambodia's second most-important destination for exports and its sixth leading source of imports, according to 2005 trade statistics, with Germany at the top of the list.
7 comments:
They would have woken up earlier, as KI expects, had the oppositions given them reasons to.
SiS
they not wake up yet, if they do, they should reforme the Cambodia Royal Police and Army.
What's a big deal? Do you think
that writing a bunch of shits down
on paper will stop corruption?
No way.
What stop corruption is a physical
anti-corruption force armed with
AK-47 and the whole nine yards.
Doesn't that make more sense?
These retards are just making
trouble over nothing.
Hun Sen's Government doesn't need the Anti-Corruption Law...What for ?
...cuz they're the Cleanest government in the World,aren't they ?
Yep they are too clean, clean like a paper toilet I just wiped by butt.
Why need anti-corruption law in a lawless Cambodia? Anyone who is rich and powerful can be above the law. Ah Sen makes his own laws all the times. Having an anti-corruption law that is not going to be enforced appropriately is worse than having no law.
Laws for every citizen to follow is needed and no one can be above the law. Impoosible if Ah Sen and hi thugs still in power.
Come on, dude, no one say anything
about the CPP is perfectly clean.
And I am sure you are not going
to tell us that the rest of the
parties are perfectly clean
either, are you?
If not, just what are you fighting
for? be rational, it it not worth
the risk. This not the US, AU, UK,
... or France. We got autocracies
neighbors and no one can deal with
them better than the CPP.
So far, Cambodia has broken the
ExKing's peace record (1954-1970).
Why do you want to continue to
subjecting us to high risks?
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