The French, British and Japanese ambassadors (from right to left) at the opening of a donor meeting on Wednesday. (Photo by: Heng Chivoan)Friday, 05 December 2008
Written by Brendan Brady and Kay Kimsong The Phnom Penh Post
"A real friend who cares helps a country help itself. It's not about giving money to a country to spend however it wants. I think [donors] don't see that a lot of assistance has not been effectively used. How can the country be improving if it requires more assistance?" - Opposition leader Sam RainsyWith Cambodia expected to reap a windfall in foreign assistance, the opposition says ‘beggar mentality' will persist
EARLY reports that Cambodia will receive nearly US$1 billion in foreign aid for this coming year add a new imperative to the annual debate on the real impact of donor contributions that typically make up half of the government budget.
"Cambodia still needs aid, but they way it is used is the real problem," said political veteran Prince Sisowath Thomico.
"It should be used just to improve certain key sectors like education and health. So far, since 1993, I haven't seen it done this way. It has been given according to the requests of the government."
The government has used this week's donor forum as an opportunity to lay out a new vision for management of the country's resources and to defend itself from criticism from watchdogs and NGOs, releasing a report during the session rebutting a string of recent attacks on land rights and resource extraction.
Prime Minister Hun Sen said Thursday the government would not grant any new land concessions for logging, saying the government would instead focus on collecting revenue from taxes.
"We are better off to keep the forests as a national reserve, and not try to get money from logging."
"Cambodia still needs aid, but the way it is used is the real problem."He blamed his previous coalition government "partner", Prince Norodom Ranariddh, for "allowing the government to fall into anarchy" with profit-making schemes such as logging.
But he proclaimed that the years of unscrupulous government were over.
Aiding and abetting?
Despite the government's assertions, opposition leader Sam Rainsy expressed concern that the potential aid windfall next year would only further "a beggar mentality that makes Cambodia remain irresponsible and corrupt".
"A real friend who cares helps a country help itself. It's not about giving money to a country to spend however it wants. I think [donors] don't see that a lot of assistance has not been effectively used. How can the country be improving if it requires more assistance?"
Yet, neither questions of the efficiency of aid nor a looming global recession that is hitting many of Cambodia's key donors hard are likely to spark a drop-off in aid, said independent economist Sok Sina.
For Rafael Dochao Moreno, head of the European Commission in Cambodia, donor contributions stand for more than financial support.
"The EC presence here in Cambodia shows one of the European values and principles: solidarity."
He said that despite financial pressures European governments were facing given their own dire economic troubles, "We are here to stay."
15 comments:
A real friend who cares helps a country help itself. It's not about giving money to a country to spend however it wants.
Ah pleu Scam Rainxy, did you just fucking wake up or are you on drug? When did these countries say they are Scambodia's friends? All they want is fucking to influence Scambodia to be the next battle ground.
If you are so dumb, why don't you go get stuffed?
From anh to haeang, ah pleu 4 eyes cunt.
KI:
"(from right to left 'picture')"
I think you had the photos and names backward.
He has a good intention to your country, why you curse him Ah Pleu 6:51.
Getting people killed is never good for any country, motherfucker (7:09).
Ah Pleu 6:51,
you a so stupid to support one party blindly.
now you have benefits you try to support even they are in the wrong way.
One day you will receive bad thing from the CPP policies, Ah Pleu 6:51
Ah pleu chhkout 7:36, what can ah Scam Rainxy do that is better than dear Samdach leader Hun Sen? Same corrupt party member, no sexperience, and no fucking international relations credential. All in all, ah pleu Scam Rainxy is only useless foreign idiot in PP looking for virgin girls to fuck in both holes.
7:36, if you so sne ha cheat, please please go fuck yourself, get stuffed and don't ever come back.
scam rainxy = 4 eyes stupid cunt, just like 7:36.
If the Westerners want to make real changes in Cambodia, they need to put their money where their mouths are.
Japan and China continue to be Cambodia's biggest donors. Without the help of our Asian friends, poor Cambodians would suffer a lot more than they are now.
All the Westerners are good at is complain, complain, complain...and molesting our children.
They even complain about Khmer people getting much need aid from China and Japan.
They teach Khmer people how to complain. That's why most pro-Westerners cannot do anything to help our country, because they're too busy serving their white masters and keep our country from moving forward.
We don't need the damn pedophiles in our country!
Don't listen to Ah Jkout (7;36) who go to school on the net and tutored by KI clan.
Cambodia ruled by uneducated and the criminal people,
called: Cambodian People Party (CPP).
This government CPP stealing country asset cut the forest sell
to oversea, billions dollars gone into their pockets, stole tax money
and land grabbing from the poor.
They murder who against the government CPP.
The only way to eliminate the frauds and corruptions
in Cambodia is: remove Hun Sen (the ex-Khmer rouge)
and his gangster CPP out from the power.
please try not to spoil cambodia too much like a spoiled child or something. please demand reforms and the gov't to care for its people and look out after its people's, both economically and socially, especially the poors, the disabled, the handicapped, very youngs and the elderly. the justice system is still weak, the social services system is lack if any; there ought to be a social security system to help the disabled the youngs and the elderly alike in cambodia. please make a lot of reform demands from the gov't of cambodia. donors do have the power collectively as a voice for changes in cambodia. thank you.
i don't think it is funny to spoil cambodia! i guess donors are bad, too, for being frivolous in their demand for reforms in cambodia.
What the donor countries did not realize are that most of their money,the money from their taxes payers, went into high ranking CPP personal bank account.Some have hundreds of millions of dollars in their possession,and multiple villas .How can they amass so much money while their salaries are the same as average westerners hard workers.
When you work hard in Cambodia, you will succeeded.
Only Ah Scam Rainxy will take the easy road.
we're looking at the two clown who doesn't care about the life of human being. Just try to prolong the judgement to the genocide who have been slutgher the incocent khmer people and just wait for his next paycheck. Shame on you assshole. We wish you was there on 1975 to 1979 to witness the genocide by your political bullshit. You damn mother fucker care nothing but your next pay check.
Khmer Poi Pet
Dear Ah Pleu 7:55 PM.
I think you are living 30 Km under ground that's why you sound like you don know a shit about what's going on in Khmer society today. Don come here and pretend to be the best when you are brainless and uneducated.
Hun Sen has promised to eliminate illegal logging since 1998 and 10 laster what has been done?? Open your god damn eyes you piece of shit 7:55 PM.
If a person like you were to become a leader, Khmers will continue to live in misery and pain because all you care about is yourself.
You selfish motherfucker.
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