Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
03 October 2007
Prime Minister Hun Sen Wednesday praised the strengthening relationship between Cambodia and the US, including the high number of garment exports to lucrative US markets, direct US aid, military aid and cooperation on counterterrorism.
"America's market absorbs a lot of goods from Cambodia," Hun Sen said to reporters in Phnom Penh.
"The US has provided military aid to Cambodia," he said. "Cambodia and the US are the most important partner in fighting against terrorism, and the US helped Cambodian soldiers participate in a military exercises within the UN framework, in Mongolia."
The US cut off direct aid to Cambodia after Hun Sen seized power in a 1997 coup d'etat. Aid resumed earlier this year, and relations have warmed.
But Hun Sen told reporters the bilateral relationship was not "up to the level both countries deserve."
US Embassy spokesman Jeff Daigle said the US was happy to see better relations.
Seng Theary, executive director of the Center for Social Development, said the improving relations between Washington and Phnom Penh was an answer to China's superpower influence in Asia.
China is widely seen to have expanding interest in the developing world, including Cambodia.
Cambodia needs the US market, despite having a market like China for its goods, opposition lawmaker Son Chhay said.
"We cannot depend on trade with China," he said. "We must strengthen good governance and fight corruption."
"America's market absorbs a lot of goods from Cambodia," Hun Sen said to reporters in Phnom Penh.
"The US has provided military aid to Cambodia," he said. "Cambodia and the US are the most important partner in fighting against terrorism, and the US helped Cambodian soldiers participate in a military exercises within the UN framework, in Mongolia."
The US cut off direct aid to Cambodia after Hun Sen seized power in a 1997 coup d'etat. Aid resumed earlier this year, and relations have warmed.
But Hun Sen told reporters the bilateral relationship was not "up to the level both countries deserve."
US Embassy spokesman Jeff Daigle said the US was happy to see better relations.
Seng Theary, executive director of the Center for Social Development, said the improving relations between Washington and Phnom Penh was an answer to China's superpower influence in Asia.
China is widely seen to have expanding interest in the developing world, including Cambodia.
Cambodia needs the US market, despite having a market like China for its goods, opposition lawmaker Son Chhay said.
"We cannot depend on trade with China," he said. "We must strengthen good governance and fight corruption."
6 comments:
On Cambodian freedon, sweat, and blood! may that fucking frendship grove for goodness?
It doesnot matter what relationship that Cambodia has with US or China if Cambodia itself doesnot have a strong policy to cleanup corruption and forbidding the power leaders taking away Cambodian's properties such as: land grabbing.
Hunsen knows by heart that Vietnam will not support him to be a Prime Minister again. Vietnam knows that Hunsen's families have done a bad things and cause a bad image for CPP. Thus, Hunsen must change his direction to US and hope that US can support him. WRONG DIRECTION...
Cambodia will not have a strong relationship with other countries if we dont have strong leaders who love our Cambodian from their heart, not just love power and money.
Next Election, we should explain to our Cambodian in the rural area as follows:
1. Hunsen built schools, road, bridge for villagers. We should ask the villagers that how much Hunsen makes a month to have that much money to build free for villagers. His salary from a position as a Prime Minister doesnot enough for him to pay people to protect his house and work as servant for his family. Where the money he gets from? Ask villagers like that. If the villagers still vote for him, Cambodia will be getting worst everyday.
2. Ask villagers, how many time do you hear CPP leaders talk about passing corruption law? Does it pass now? Of course NOT, because the CPP leaders are the people who took million of dollars from the Cambodia government into their own pockets. Of course, they never want the corruption law to be passed. Ask the villagers, do they still want to vote for CPP?
3. Ask the villagers, is a Cambodia an Independent state? If Cambodia does, why Cambodia government let Vietnam orders Puppet Monk Tep Vong to defrock Ven. Tim Sakhorn and send back to Vietnam and Cambodia government scares to talk about it. If a government scare to standup to protect for its own citizen, ask the villagers, do they want to vote for CPP?
4. Ask the villagers, do they know that our Angkor Wat is controlling by a company that is owned by a group of people who work for the YOUN benefits, not Cambodian benefits. If Cambodian government controlls selling tickets for the tourist, Cambodian government makes lots of benefits and can use that money to develop Cambodia. Why Cambodian cannot do it and let a company runs it? Ask the villagers if they know how to answer???
Those are the suggestions that the opposite leaders should use when you go on the campaign at the villages in Cambodia. Those are the truth and we dont need to hide. When the villagers understand the truth, they will bravely stand up to vote for the opposite party instead of the puppet YOUN party CPP. When the villagers understood the real situation of Cambodia, they even can come out to protest just like in Burma. Tell our Buddhist monks to give a hand when they do Dharma talk. YOUN actually now tries to screw up our religion. Our Buddhist monks must stand up to protect our religion if not, they will do it as the Truong Minh Giang period by forcing us to change our religion and culture. So, please stand up and dont let our history repeats.
thanks for sharing my khmer brother 2:55 am.
we need more people like you to speak up and spread the real stuff that matter.
255 good points...I like the way you think. How do we protect these villagers for not voting CPP?
'"The US has provided military aid to Cambodia," he said.'
LOL, and they did the same thing for LonNol and Sarimatak, Somdach (Hun Sen).
Hun Sen will not be good friend with the U.S if he does not clean his act and improving good government. The U.S will be embarrased to have him as a good friend. It is a mutually benneficial move for both parties to improve their relation. For Cambodia:
- We need to diversify our market for the economy to continuing to grow to satisfy thousands for new labor force every year.
- Cambodia will draw new investments from the U.S firms and all around the world.
- And probably more aids for various fields and a host of other unknown things that we can get just being American friends
For the U.S:
- It is a chance to show Cambodian people that America cares for Cambodia.
- It is the American responsibility to help Cambodia after massive bombing over Cambodia in the 60s and 70s which killed hundrends of thousand of Cambodians and with millions more in the Khmer Rouge era that the U.S got a hand in.
- To contain China from spreading in IndoChina and ASEAN which will make it harder for the U.S in the future.
- Camboida will cooperate with the U.S for the fight of torrism and drug and human traffiking.
- Cambodia is a developing country and it could be a new source for U.S export.
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