Main Reason US Ambassador Boycotted Ceremony At Tuol Sleng25-01-2008
By Rithy
Kampuchea Thmey
Unofficial Translation from Khmer by KRtrial.info
Phnom Penh: Joseph A. Mussomeli, U.S. ambassador to Cambodia, told journalists in Kratie province on January 22 that the reason he had not attended the ceremony with the Hollywood actress at Tuol Sleng prison was that the ceremony was politicized.
The ambassador said that at first he thought the purposes of the ceremony were only to find peace and commemorate the atrocities of the genocidal regime. That was the reason why he had registered to attend it. Later he, however, realized that the ceremony had been politicized to criticize another country, so he decided to withdraw himself from it.
Civil society organizations from Cambodia and Sudan’s Darfur had asked the government for the rally on the 20th of February at Tuol Sleng prison and Cheung Aek Genocide Center. However, it was blocked by the government’s authorities since the ceremony was seen as a “paddle” to criticize China.
If the ceremony had been made in accordance with its proposal, it would not have been halted.
“We do not support any acts using unfair images to criticize another country,” said Joseph A. Mussomeli. If the march had been for humanitarian acts, he would not have refused to attend. “At first, they told me that a group of supporter of “Dream for Darfur” led by Hollywood actress Mia Farrow would light a torch at Tuol Sleng prison to stand out against genocidal regimes around the world. But, on the day it was started, the march became politicized and it criticized another country,” said Joseph A. Mussomeli. The ambassador has expressed his disappointment to what they had done differently from their proposed plan.
However, the ambassador has also appreciated the government’s authorities who banned the march with no one injured.
Besides Darfur-related issue, the ambassador also talked about the draft law on anti-corruption in Cambodia which must be accelerated in favor of law enforcement in Cambodia in order to contribute to alleviation of corruption in society and country development. Meanwhile, the government has been committed to speeding up the adoption of the draft anti-corruption law.
Joseph said that approximately $320 million have been lost annually due to corruption. Therefore, if the corruption could be prevented, the huge sums of money could be used for building schools, hospitals, and other infrastructures.
In a report of the U.S. Embassy, more than 500,000 people have put their fingerprints in a petition to urge the National Assembly to adopt the law as soon as possible. Only in Kratie, 20,000 fingerprints have been taken in support of the law.
The ambassador said that at first he thought the purposes of the ceremony were only to find peace and commemorate the atrocities of the genocidal regime. That was the reason why he had registered to attend it. Later he, however, realized that the ceremony had been politicized to criticize another country, so he decided to withdraw himself from it.
Civil society organizations from Cambodia and Sudan’s Darfur had asked the government for the rally on the 20th of February at Tuol Sleng prison and Cheung Aek Genocide Center. However, it was blocked by the government’s authorities since the ceremony was seen as a “paddle” to criticize China.
If the ceremony had been made in accordance with its proposal, it would not have been halted.
“We do not support any acts using unfair images to criticize another country,” said Joseph A. Mussomeli. If the march had been for humanitarian acts, he would not have refused to attend. “At first, they told me that a group of supporter of “Dream for Darfur” led by Hollywood actress Mia Farrow would light a torch at Tuol Sleng prison to stand out against genocidal regimes around the world. But, on the day it was started, the march became politicized and it criticized another country,” said Joseph A. Mussomeli. The ambassador has expressed his disappointment to what they had done differently from their proposed plan.
However, the ambassador has also appreciated the government’s authorities who banned the march with no one injured.
Besides Darfur-related issue, the ambassador also talked about the draft law on anti-corruption in Cambodia which must be accelerated in favor of law enforcement in Cambodia in order to contribute to alleviation of corruption in society and country development. Meanwhile, the government has been committed to speeding up the adoption of the draft anti-corruption law.
Joseph said that approximately $320 million have been lost annually due to corruption. Therefore, if the corruption could be prevented, the huge sums of money could be used for building schools, hospitals, and other infrastructures.
In a report of the U.S. Embassy, more than 500,000 people have put their fingerprints in a petition to urge the National Assembly to adopt the law as soon as possible. Only in Kratie, 20,000 fingerprints have been taken in support of the law.
9 comments:
see, i know it all along that mia's protest was 'politicized', and i'm glad the US ambassador saw the same thing and boycotted it. mia, you can use cambodia to protest another gov't because it's like dragging cambodia to get involved with your grief or what have you. politically, that's not right for you to use cambodia as a staging ground for your disapproval of another gov't, and it is in the rights of cambodian gov't to ban you from doing it in cambodia. why don't you go do it in thailand or vietnam or sudan or anywhere else? why do you want cambodia to look bad by you doing this.
on the same note, pleas use hong kong or singapore as a model law for anti- corruption in cambodia. hong kong and singapore are the two best example of anti-corruption law that works well there, and cambodia could benefit from taking that example from them. i thank mr. ambassador for helping cambodia to reform in this important law. justice for cambodia and khmer-american friendship for eternally. thank you
You see the American Administration, and the Chinese government they don't give a fuck about human misery.
Think of this situation: Cambodia year 1975-1979, an actress organized the same event in Sudan in 1977 to highlight the killings that were going on in Cambodia and an actress criticized China for the support of the Khmer Rouge regime.
What would we Khmer at that time wish the world to do? Would we say and blame this actress of politicizing the event?
Fuck the ECCC in Cambodia……my relatives all dead, you just want a side show. The judges just enjoy their high salary and special allowances……fuck you
America is not, yet ready for another confrontation with China. To dive herself right into it, would be a serious mistake.
China should also know and without any further action that her behavior in Darfur is perhaps very wrong and unacceptable to others. She should change herself on her own.
Ordinary Khmers
Like Ms. Mia, an ordianry people like ourself wish to have peace prosperity and free from all kind miseries. We sincerely hope that the world would want the same and respect her opinion as it it.
Darfur is a true-terrifying event which no one should ignore.
Ordinary Khmers
Don't jump into any conclusion yet! It is only a good cop and bad cop approach.
Anyone at least know what is world politics.
US would support MAI if Cambodia is not friend with AMERICA.
BUT US is very glad to support Ms. MIA FARROW in any movement to change regime in North Korea and IRAN.
12:12 PM - you are totally right! Thank you for that comment.
2:11 PM
Hey, you little shit, you know nothing about bad or good cops.
You're nothing but fuckhead and dumb shit.
You see the American Administration, and the Chinese government they don't give a fuck about human misery.
Think of this situation: Cambodia year 1975-1979, an actress organized the same event in Sudan in 1977 to highlight the killings that were going on in Cambodia and an actress criticized China for the support of the Khmer Rouge regime.
What would we Khmer at that time wish the world to do? Would we say and blame this actress of politicizing the event?
Fuck the ECCC in Cambodia……my relatives all dead, you just want a side show. The judges just enjoy their high salary and special allowances……fuck you
12:12 PM
If you have time, could you please research the name of the actress who planned the similar event to criticize the Chinese in 1977. What she did was a remarkable humanitarian effort to conceivably save the genocidal machine.
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