Global Witness
London, 22 January 2008 for immediate release
Officials involved in natural resource related corruption from other countries may also be banned
Anti-corruption NGO Global Witness today welcomed the news that the United States government has endorsed travel sanctions on top Cambodian officials, and called on other countries to follow suit. Despite giving large amounts of development aid to Cambodia, other countries in Europe, such as the UK, France and Germany, as well as Japan and Australia, have failed to take tough action in response to reports of high-level institutional corruption in Cambodia.
This unprecedented move by the U.S. became official with the passing into law of the 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which determines funding for U.S. overseas assistance. The Act requires the U.S. Secretary of State to keep a running list of foreign government officials and their family members who have been involved in corruption relating to the extraction of natural resources in their countries. Individuals on this list will be ineligible for admission to the United States. It also specifically urges the Bush administration to prohibit corrupt officials identified in the Global Witness report ‘Cambodia’s Family Trees’ from entering the United States and calls on other western and Asian countries to impose similar restrictions.
When implemented, the proposed U.S. ban will affect senior Cambodian ministers, top-ranking generals and others. It is a direct response to Global Witness’ exposure of institutional corruption and asset-stripping at the highest echelons of Cambodia’s government. ‘Cambodia’s Family Trees’, published in June 2007, details how a network of timber barons with familial or business links to Prime Minister Hun Sen, his wife, and other senior officials, are looting the country’s forests with impunity. Members of this group are heavily implicated in cases of kidnapping and attempted murder. The report also presents evidence of corruption by senior officials and the smuggling activities of elite military units controlled by the prime minister.
“To ban top Cambodian officials from the United States not only means that those individuals are no longer free to visit relatives or go shopping in the streets of New York or Los Angeles: it is also a damning indictment of the way state power in Cambodia is exercised,” said Global Witness Director Simon Taylor. “It sends a clear message that the exploitation of Cambodia’s natural resources by a small group of powerful individuals at the expense of the country’s poor is unacceptable and fundamentally undermines development and good governance.”
The U.S. legislature’s response contrasts sharply with that of other donors. Despite the Cambodian government consistently reneging on commitments to strengthen governance and uphold human rights, Cambodia’s donors continue to pledge more money without seeing tangible actions to combat corruption and impunity. In 2007 – just weeks after the launch of ‘Cambodia’s Family Trees’ – Cambodia’s donors pledged a record US$689 million in development aid: a rise of 15% on the previous year.
“Given the insipid response from Cambodia’s donor community, it is a huge relief to see the U.S. legislature recognise the problem and take a stronger line,” said Taylor. “It is now up to others who profess an interest in Cambodia’s development to adopt similar measures. Only with tough action such as this will we begin to reverse this process of state looting and hold those responsible accountable.”
For further information please call +44 207 561 6385 or +44 7872 620855
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Notes
(1) Global Witness exposes the corrupt exploitation of natural resources and international trade systems, to drive campaigns that end impunity, resource-linked conflict, and human rights and environmental abuses. Global Witness was co-nominated for the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for its leading work on ‘conflict diamonds' and awarded the 2007 Commitment to Development Ideas in Action Award, sponsored jointly by Washington DC based Center for Global Development and Foreign Policy magazine.
(2) The report ‘Cambodia's Family Trees' can be downloaded from
http://www.globalwitness.org/media_library_detail.php/546/en/cambodias_family_trees.
(3) The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2008 was signed into law on December 26 2007 by United States President George W. Bush. It can be downloaded from
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:h2764enr.txt.pdf
(4) The provisions relating to Cambodia in the Consolidated Appropriations Act can be found in the accompanying Division J report , which provides additional information on the implementation of the Act. The Division J report endorses the language on Cambodia found within the 2008 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill. This contained the following text: “The Committee urges the administration to exercise Presidential Proclamation 7750 [the anti-Kleptocracy Initiative travel ban] to prohibit corrupt Cambodian officials identified in the June 2007 Global Witness report entitled “Cambodia’s Family Trees: Illegal Logging and the Stripping of Public Assets by Cambodia’s Elite” from entering the United States. The Committee encourages other developed countries, particularly in Europe and Asia, to implement similar restrictions.”
Anti-corruption NGO Global Witness today welcomed the news that the United States government has endorsed travel sanctions on top Cambodian officials, and called on other countries to follow suit. Despite giving large amounts of development aid to Cambodia, other countries in Europe, such as the UK, France and Germany, as well as Japan and Australia, have failed to take tough action in response to reports of high-level institutional corruption in Cambodia.
This unprecedented move by the U.S. became official with the passing into law of the 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which determines funding for U.S. overseas assistance. The Act requires the U.S. Secretary of State to keep a running list of foreign government officials and their family members who have been involved in corruption relating to the extraction of natural resources in their countries. Individuals on this list will be ineligible for admission to the United States. It also specifically urges the Bush administration to prohibit corrupt officials identified in the Global Witness report ‘Cambodia’s Family Trees’ from entering the United States and calls on other western and Asian countries to impose similar restrictions.
When implemented, the proposed U.S. ban will affect senior Cambodian ministers, top-ranking generals and others. It is a direct response to Global Witness’ exposure of institutional corruption and asset-stripping at the highest echelons of Cambodia’s government. ‘Cambodia’s Family Trees’, published in June 2007, details how a network of timber barons with familial or business links to Prime Minister Hun Sen, his wife, and other senior officials, are looting the country’s forests with impunity. Members of this group are heavily implicated in cases of kidnapping and attempted murder. The report also presents evidence of corruption by senior officials and the smuggling activities of elite military units controlled by the prime minister.
“To ban top Cambodian officials from the United States not only means that those individuals are no longer free to visit relatives or go shopping in the streets of New York or Los Angeles: it is also a damning indictment of the way state power in Cambodia is exercised,” said Global Witness Director Simon Taylor. “It sends a clear message that the exploitation of Cambodia’s natural resources by a small group of powerful individuals at the expense of the country’s poor is unacceptable and fundamentally undermines development and good governance.”
The U.S. legislature’s response contrasts sharply with that of other donors. Despite the Cambodian government consistently reneging on commitments to strengthen governance and uphold human rights, Cambodia’s donors continue to pledge more money without seeing tangible actions to combat corruption and impunity. In 2007 – just weeks after the launch of ‘Cambodia’s Family Trees’ – Cambodia’s donors pledged a record US$689 million in development aid: a rise of 15% on the previous year.
“Given the insipid response from Cambodia’s donor community, it is a huge relief to see the U.S. legislature recognise the problem and take a stronger line,” said Taylor. “It is now up to others who profess an interest in Cambodia’s development to adopt similar measures. Only with tough action such as this will we begin to reverse this process of state looting and hold those responsible accountable.”
For further information please call +44 207 561 6385 or +44 7872 620855
------------
Notes
(1) Global Witness exposes the corrupt exploitation of natural resources and international trade systems, to drive campaigns that end impunity, resource-linked conflict, and human rights and environmental abuses. Global Witness was co-nominated for the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for its leading work on ‘conflict diamonds' and awarded the 2007 Commitment to Development Ideas in Action Award, sponsored jointly by Washington DC based Center for Global Development and Foreign Policy magazine.
(2) The report ‘Cambodia's Family Trees' can be downloaded from
http://www.globalwitness.org/media_library_detail.php/546/en/cambodias_family_trees.
(3) The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2008 was signed into law on December 26 2007 by United States President George W. Bush. It can be downloaded from
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:h2764enr.txt.pdf
(4) The provisions relating to Cambodia in the Consolidated Appropriations Act can be found in the accompanying Division J report , which provides additional information on the implementation of the Act. The Division J report endorses the language on Cambodia found within the 2008 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill. This contained the following text: “The Committee urges the administration to exercise Presidential Proclamation 7750 [the anti-Kleptocracy Initiative travel ban] to prohibit corrupt Cambodian officials identified in the June 2007 Global Witness report entitled “Cambodia’s Family Trees: Illegal Logging and the Stripping of Public Assets by Cambodia’s Elite” from entering the United States. The Committee encourages other developed countries, particularly in Europe and Asia, to implement similar restrictions.”
29 comments:
Saaaaaaa...Thuh!
Thank you Uncle SAM for making a U-turn in taking a tough stand against AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave corrupted dictatorship because Cambodian people and Cambodian democracy is losing ground and is on the run in Cambodia!
Whether this report is true or not GLOBAL WITNESS days are numbered in Cambodia. This goverment will not stop at anything. Good luck
Good! this means that sok an can not parade in Long Beach.
Oh goodness. Does this mean Sok An won't be coming to Long Beach and Hok Lundy won't be coming to New York for more "anti-terrorism" cooperation????
I hope it has true substance. Anyhow a good move.
Nothing to stop them to come to the US or others. You know why? If they want to come to US they can fool us aroud by using others name and birthdate and faked parents. the Acts is good, but those people has money and they can get around the bushes. Good luck for trying to stop them.
I think Richer San and his wife will go to Washington to oppose against this Acts, that stop officials from Cambodian to US. They has been working very hard with thier Cambodian Town staff to get Sok An to come to Long Beach. Go Richer Go...and thank that you can fool people in Long Beach, especially, the Cambodian Coordinating Council including Sweety Chap.
Tomorrow Morning I'm going to Naked at my Company.
Para Chey Pouk Ah 7Makara in PA.
10:30AM I don't think Richer San and Sothear San are not American Mama and Papa...the Couple are B/S Lobster Brain.
How did Hun Sen is going to be Sam Dach Te Cho of CABODIA if he can not allow to come to visit Foriegne Country?
To 10:05AM
Who are you kidding? Please don't worry about GLOBAL WITNESS! AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave dictator is running out of time and I suggest that he better come up with an exit strategy and let hope there is an exit for him! Ahhahahhahahha
Cambodian people and Cambodian democracy had been on the run for a very long time and now it is AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave turn to be on the run! I say run you fool before it is too late!
Please remember that Saddam Hussein had been in power longer than AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave and Uncle SAM manage to take him out of power and what about AH HUN SEN strongman of Cambodia?
"Saddam Hussein has 375,000 regular army and 2,600 tanks, 300aircraft, 850 missiles, and 3,000 anti-aircraft guns and he spent 1.4 billion dollars funding his military!" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2839761.stm
Pleas tell me what does AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave has?
Lok PhD Hun Sen has more than you think. He has a white boy here in LB to support him. I don't know that white boy is cheap or not, however, I heard from CPP said that boy just wants to suck more from CPP.
Ah Dechou, Ah sichou, Ah Mohachou, Ah Khanhom YOUN VIETCONG, one day you will be hanged,
Those of you who are applauding this are FOOLS. Sure ban Cambodian government officials from coming to the United States. Ban their kids from attending the school system in the U.S.
I dont see the same thing happening to Vietnam. Their children are attending top universities and graduating with top honors. They are building satellites and microchips with help from the U.S. Global Witness should be stopped, they are harming Cambodia, just because they ban corrupt officials from coming to the U.S. doesnt mean their kids should not continue education here. And how will stopping them from traveling to the U.S. help stop corruption in Cambodia????
The allegations are basesless and unfounded, and they should be thrown out.
Sadly, these allegations were never substantiated or circumstantiated by the international community, with the exception of the so called Global Blindness Organization.
My belief is that the United States or other countries does not have time to squander their (precious)time over these baseless allegations.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
When the US are going to take them out of the list like Saddam ?
WHY DON'T EVERYONE HAVE A PETITION TO HAVE MR. SAN RICHER REMOVED FROM HIS CURRENT POSITION. AFTER ALL, THIS IS CAMBODIAN TOWN, WE, KHMER PEOPLE, HAVE THE ULTIMATE DECISION TO REMOVE HIM.
To 12:43PM!
I am not impressed by the Vietcong capability in satellites and microchips! If it is true all these programs are sponsored by the Vietcong government with outside help or investment! "The Vietcong government is spending $1.3 billion on education!"
http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093182356
http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1675/Vietnam-PREPRIMARY-PRIMARY-EDUCATION.html
I have to wonder how much money AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave spent on education in Cambodia. The corruption under AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave government cost Cambodia $500 million a year and what is left for Cambodian education?
No primary and secondary education, no internship and no formal training and no basic research and no discovery, and schools look more like a barn for animal and how could Cambodian population catch up with the rest of the world?
Oh well! AH HUN SEN want to make sure that in the whole Cambodia only him can get a PhD! ahahhahhaha
Para Chey Pouk Ah khmer knhom yuon 7Makara.
Don't expect this law will be enforce.
Thank for the United States of America and the US congressmen who have a humanitarian heart for all real Khmer people who were/are suffering from the communistic idiology and depression in Cambodia.
Barking is one thing -- biting is different thing. ... Do you really, really think that the U.S. Congress will enforce this act? Well, I hate to disapoint you ... but, I'd be highly iffy if the (U.S. Congress) will follow it through.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Hello, Phnom Penh...
The US laws are the real laws on the planet. They will enforce well, not like Phnom Penh laws.
This action will reduce your income at least 25% per year. And very soon your country will be running in debt, just like 1979-89.
Para Chey ah kjom yuon.
Cheyo Sam Raingsy! 110 seats!
lol your wrong 12:58
this law hasn't been passed yet, it needs to be voted on. I dont think it will pass because it is a stupid law. Banning officials from traveling to ones country is bad for business and it doesn't stop corruption. Waste of time and money.
The U.S. already has its plate full. Thus, what make you so sure that the act will be implemented and follow it through?
My understanding is that, in a general sense, yes ... the U.S. has stepped up to the plate, but it has not yet swung the bat; however, there's a high probability that the U.S. will not swing -- and if it did -- it will miss it.
It is my belief that all of you have your hopes held too high.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
I just a fraid that I miss my oportunity to meet Sok Ann face to face in the parad on a free land (Without US secret service protection!).
See how brave CPP are?
Omnipoten.
Phnom Pehn, Cambodia.
THE U.S. CANNOT BE EVERYWHERE AT ONCE
LOOK AT THE IRAQ, IRAN, NORTH KOREA, PAKISTAN, WHAT ARE MESS
BUSH IS A VERY STRONG PRESIDENT, AND HE CAN BARELY HANDLE THE CURRENT SITUATION, I CAN IMAGINE IF BARACK ABAMA OR HILARY CLINTON GETS ELECTED TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF THE US, THE INSURGENTS AND EXTREMISTS WOULD LOVE THESE TWO CLOWNS TO BE THE PRESIDENT
ALSO, HUN SEN'S ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN RECORDED AND WELL DOCUMENTED IN CASE HE MAKES THE WRONG MOVE
I'M SURE HUN SEN'S AMERICAN ADVISOR ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE US PLAN
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