Global Witness
For Immediate Release:
Click here to read the desperate statement issued by
Hor Nam Bora to defend his and his father's boss
Hor Nam Bora to defend his and his father's boss
Following Global Witness’ recommendation that new World Bank President Robert Zoellick take advantage of his recent trip to Cambodia by calling for a credible investigation into evidence of an illegal logging network surrounding the Cambodian Prime Minister and other senior officials (exposed in Global Witness’ June 2007 report ‘Cambodia’s Family Trees’), the Cambodian government, increasingly desperate to defend their already tarnished public image, has issued a press release demanding a change in Global Witness’ leadership and a call to the organisation’s donors to cut funding.
The August 5 press release describes Global Witness’ request to Mr Zoellick as both “amusing and disturbing” and urges funders to “review the credibility and ill-intention of Global Witness Director,” adding “his discriminatory nature may be ill suited to lead Global Witness in the current situation and the future.”
“Cambodia’s Family Trees is based on several years of rigorous investigations into Cambodia’s forest sector and offers an in-depth exposé of illegal logging, kidnapping and attempted murder by relatives of the prime minister and other senior officials. I fail to see why calling for a credible investigation into these findings is either amusing or disturbing,” said Global Witness Director, Simon Taylor. “This latest announcement from the Cambodian Embassy is symptomatic of the government’s reluctance to deal with the facts presented in our report. Attempts to suppress our activities will not make these very real issues of governance and natural resource mismanagement disappear,” he said, adding “Either respond to our calls for an investigation to prove impunity in Cambodia does not exist, or stop complaining.”
“It’s also worth noting that the Cambodian government are happy to benefit from the freedom of the press here in the UK, whilst our report is banned in Cambodia and the prime minister’s brother is reported to have threatened Global Witness staff with violence,” said Taylor.
The press release highlighted economic growth over the past decade in Cambodia and improvements in the investment climate. Yet last month a World Bank survey of corruption in 207 countries ranked Cambodia in the bottom ten percent, as did the 2006 Transparency International "corruption perceptions index". The Cambodian government is still repaying millions of dollars siphoned off in a graft scandal that forced the Bank to temporarily suspend three key aid projects last year. Meanwhile, an estimated 35% of the Cambodian population continues to live in poverty.
“Quoting economic growth rates is meaningless if the vast proportion of state assets are under the control of an unaccountable elite,” said Taylor. “Changing the status quo will necessitate addressing the rampant corruption which allows a small group of individuals to profit from the exploitation of Cambodia’s natural resources at the expense of the country’s poor. There must be an effective judicial investigation into our report’s findings and the international donor community must insist that this happens.”
Ends
For further information please contact: +44 7957 142 121 or +44 207 561 6396
The August 5 press release describes Global Witness’ request to Mr Zoellick as both “amusing and disturbing” and urges funders to “review the credibility and ill-intention of Global Witness Director,” adding “his discriminatory nature may be ill suited to lead Global Witness in the current situation and the future.”
“Cambodia’s Family Trees is based on several years of rigorous investigations into Cambodia’s forest sector and offers an in-depth exposé of illegal logging, kidnapping and attempted murder by relatives of the prime minister and other senior officials. I fail to see why calling for a credible investigation into these findings is either amusing or disturbing,” said Global Witness Director, Simon Taylor. “This latest announcement from the Cambodian Embassy is symptomatic of the government’s reluctance to deal with the facts presented in our report. Attempts to suppress our activities will not make these very real issues of governance and natural resource mismanagement disappear,” he said, adding “Either respond to our calls for an investigation to prove impunity in Cambodia does not exist, or stop complaining.”
“It’s also worth noting that the Cambodian government are happy to benefit from the freedom of the press here in the UK, whilst our report is banned in Cambodia and the prime minister’s brother is reported to have threatened Global Witness staff with violence,” said Taylor.
The press release highlighted economic growth over the past decade in Cambodia and improvements in the investment climate. Yet last month a World Bank survey of corruption in 207 countries ranked Cambodia in the bottom ten percent, as did the 2006 Transparency International "corruption perceptions index". The Cambodian government is still repaying millions of dollars siphoned off in a graft scandal that forced the Bank to temporarily suspend three key aid projects last year. Meanwhile, an estimated 35% of the Cambodian population continues to live in poverty.
“Quoting economic growth rates is meaningless if the vast proportion of state assets are under the control of an unaccountable elite,” said Taylor. “Changing the status quo will necessitate addressing the rampant corruption which allows a small group of individuals to profit from the exploitation of Cambodia’s natural resources at the expense of the country’s poor. There must be an effective judicial investigation into our report’s findings and the international donor community must insist that this happens.”
Ends
For further information please contact: +44 7957 142 121 or +44 207 561 6396
9 comments:
Global Witness supports their report with evidence that infuriates the kleptocratic family.
What evidence does the Cambodian government have to say that the GW report has ill-intention with no credibility? The ruling CPP usually frame the opposition, democracy and rights activists with imagined crimes and without evidence. They are threatened with long-term jail sentences unless they toe the line. How is that tactic going to work with Global Witness?
Hun Sen burn candle with both end, at the end he burn his hand ,the simple meaning on one hand corruption state ,all his families big time crook,mafia state,weapons trafficking,human trafficking,natural resources destroyers and the other hand he try to complain about public tarnishing . Common Hun Sen ,when you shake up ,you gonna get deeper,you mess around with the wrong people.
Quit barking and shut your mouth up ,because your own people not even support
you only King father which both of you have the international criminal record(Crime against human)
Who has Cambodian embassy address please post it.
912
Why Hun Sen regime called for cutting off funds to Global Witness? Should it be another way around? International community should cut off aids to Hun Sen regime. If they keep providing CPP aides, it seems like to strenghten their obsolute power to govern the country. Should the international community provide aides and advise to the opposition party like Sam Rainsy party to defeat the CPP?
Khmer people hope one day Hun Sen regime will be abolished from this khmer nation.
Gone with CPP
Gone with Hanoi
Gone with Hun Sen
Gone with their supporters
I'm sending a $100 donation to GW today, and I will stop patronizing any corporate donor to GW that cuts their funding as a result of this threat from the Cambodian Embassy. Pass the word! If you want to help presrve the world's remaining forests, support Global Witness! (No, I don't work for GW either!)
Please stop using plastic hammer to solve HUN SEN corrupted government!
Google it! You can find whatever about Cambodia.
Google Earth -- find where Hun Sen live!
When GW have the facts and evidence to show Ah Hun Sen and his smelly families of corruption, you can tell that THEY the CPP Ah Hun Sen doing everything by using threat and requesting to replace GW manager
The right thing to do here ah Hun Sen is to quit your position as PM and stop destroying whatever is left of Cambodia's environment..
You've made enough damaged over the years YOU BASTARD.
There wont be anything left for Cambodia' future generation. We know that you have money to send you next generation oversea and left the rest of the Khmer to suffers.
How stupid am I. I just found out about being able to donate via paypal to the SRP.
How mad are you? Make a different by donating to Sam Rainsy Party via paypal.
http://www.samrainsyparty.org/www.samrainsyparty.org/support_srp/index.htm
It's easy as a click away. Anybody who's a webmaster, or has any sort of online business have a paypal account.
All Cambodian Americans should donate.
Oh, wait, not just Cambodian Americans, I mean every body in Cambodia and outside of Cambodia.
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