Hun Sen Inc. (Photo: Global Witness)Voice of America
Bangkok
05 February 2009
An organization that investigates corrupt use of natural resources says a small number of officials and well-connected businessmen in Cambodia appear to have pocketed millions of dollars from oil and mineral deals. The organization, Global Witness, says the small elite group could siphon off millions more from the impoverished country's fast-growing oil and mining sectors.
In a report called "Country for Sale," Global Witness says a corrupt elite are profiting from Cambodia's emerging oil and mining sectors.
The anti-corruption organization says a core group including Prime Minister Hun Sen, military commanders, businessmen, and even the chairman of the human rights commission control Cambodia's mining, oil, and gas concessions.
A 1998 law allows the government to bypass lawmaker and public scrutiny to sign deals behind closed doors with little accountability.
"We know certainly of millions of dollars, which have been paid in the form of up-front bonuses to the government by private companies," said Eleanor Nichols, a Global Witness campaigner. "That money is not showing up in the national accounts. So, we are asking the question, 'Where has that money gone?"
Cambodia's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for official comment on the report and calls to the ministry were not answered.
The Cambodian Embassy in London, where Global Witness is headquartered, in November posted comments on its website saying the organization's reports are part of a malicious and villainous campaign.
The statement said Global Witness was seeking to discredit the image of Cambodia and to damage its economic development.
Cambodia's oil and mineral revenue is only a small part of government coffers, but oil revenue alone is expected to grow by hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming years.
About half of the government's budget comes from international donors.
The director of Global Witness's campaigns Gavin Hayman, says those donors have been weak in addressing corruption.
"To give you a simple example of that, there has been talk about getting anti-corruption law in Cambodia for about 14 years now and it still has not happened," he said. "Every year the donors ask the Cambodian government to make progress on this issue. Every year, there is failure to make progress."
Hayman says donors recently backed off from pressuring Cambodia to join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. It requires full publication of company payments and government revenues from oil, gas, and mining.
Global Witness was once selected to monitor the country's logging operations. But, after issuing a report in 2007 that accused top government officials of illegal logging operations, the organization had its license revoked in Cambodia and claims its staff received death threats.
In a report called "Country for Sale," Global Witness says a corrupt elite are profiting from Cambodia's emerging oil and mining sectors.
The anti-corruption organization says a core group including Prime Minister Hun Sen, military commanders, businessmen, and even the chairman of the human rights commission control Cambodia's mining, oil, and gas concessions.
A 1998 law allows the government to bypass lawmaker and public scrutiny to sign deals behind closed doors with little accountability.
"We know certainly of millions of dollars, which have been paid in the form of up-front bonuses to the government by private companies," said Eleanor Nichols, a Global Witness campaigner. "That money is not showing up in the national accounts. So, we are asking the question, 'Where has that money gone?"
Cambodia's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for official comment on the report and calls to the ministry were not answered.
The Cambodian Embassy in London, where Global Witness is headquartered, in November posted comments on its website saying the organization's reports are part of a malicious and villainous campaign.
The statement said Global Witness was seeking to discredit the image of Cambodia and to damage its economic development.
Cambodia's oil and mineral revenue is only a small part of government coffers, but oil revenue alone is expected to grow by hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming years.
About half of the government's budget comes from international donors.
The director of Global Witness's campaigns Gavin Hayman, says those donors have been weak in addressing corruption.
"To give you a simple example of that, there has been talk about getting anti-corruption law in Cambodia for about 14 years now and it still has not happened," he said. "Every year the donors ask the Cambodian government to make progress on this issue. Every year, there is failure to make progress."
Hayman says donors recently backed off from pressuring Cambodia to join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. It requires full publication of company payments and government revenues from oil, gas, and mining.
Global Witness was once selected to monitor the country's logging operations. But, after issuing a report in 2007 that accused top government officials of illegal logging operations, the organization had its license revoked in Cambodia and claims its staff received death threats.
26 comments:
What is this? Global Witness's week or something? Hahahah, LOL, hahaha, ROFLMAO, ...
So, who the hell's gonna do what the hell to Hun Sen the hell? Hun Sen, Sok An, and Cham Praseth, etc, have stolen millions of dollars, and no one can do anything about it!
Sounds like some people are jealous lol. Seeing other people driving around in 08 and 09 cars and SUV where you're still trotting around in your beat-up 95 land-rover? haha
បក្សប្រជាជន (បទកាកគតិ)
សាហាវព្រៃផ្សៃ មេកើយសព្វថ្ងៃ គំរាមប្រជា
អ្នកហ៊ានប៉ះពាល់ អំណាចឬស្យា សម្លាប់ប្រហារ
គ្មានញញើតដៃ ។
ប្រើកលគ្រប់ល្បិច ចាក់ដោតមួលក្តិច ពន្លិចបំភ្លៃ
លួងលោមទិញសូក អស់លោកមន្រ្តី អំណាចដល់ដៃ
ប្រល័យតបគុណ ។
ខ្មែរអើយចូលចាំ តាំងចិត្តឲ្យមាំ ខំប្រឹងរកធន
កុំទុកចិត្តពាល កុំអាលបោះទុន ក្រែងពេលស៊យស៊ុន
ទុនរលាយបាត់ ។
ធ្វើស្រែចំការ ចិញ្ចឹមអាត្មា ប្រមូលញាតិមិត្ត
ក្រោកផ្តួលរំលំ បនពាលទុច្ចរិត ក្បត់ជាតិខ្លួនពិត
បំរើជាតិគេ ។
បំរើប្រយោជន៍ ស្រុកទេសហិនហោច គ្មានសល់អ្វីទេ
លក់ដីលក់ជាតិ លក់ក្បាលឲ្យគេ ខ្មែរណាដៀលជេរ
កំទេចគ្មានសល់ ។
ពួកប្រជាជន ក្បត់ជាតិផងខ្លួន ផ្គាប់យួនដោយផ្ទាល់
ខ្មែរស្លាប់រាប់លាន គេគ្មានខ្វាយខ្វល់ គេប្រើពួកពល
គ្រងយួនចូលស្រុក ។
ថាបក្សជំទាស់ ប្រកាន់ពូជសាសន៍ មិនសន្សំសុខ
ជាតិសាសន៍បងប្អូន ចូលមកសុំជ្រក ម្តេចមិនលៃលក
ឲ្យបានសុខសាន្ត ។
នេះឬមិត្តយួន ថាខ្មែររុកគួន យួនចូលទាំងលាន
បំផ្លាញពូជត្រី ព្រៃឈើបរិស្ឋាន ចូលមករុករាន
ពេញផែនដីខ្មែរ ។
១៦ កក្កដា ១៩៩៨
ស.យ.មករា
no one jealous about stealing?
can American do something ?, nOO
They got money from hun shit?
Only Khmer people is stand up for ourself, you can't depend on American at least we all do something together, and asking support fro around the word like UN.
How can you possibly make yourself laughed 7:17am? You are insane! Your brain is not mindful with the national interest, especially in Cambodia. I think most of Khmers, regardless their stay here or there, when they heard that news, their feeling is hurt and sad. Because they feel sorry their nations and country where they were born and grown up.
Whether you are paid to do that or happy to make fun of that, you might need to consider thoroughly what you drop lines in this forum.
Nothing new in deed: to operate business little,medium or large in any field or industry, you have to give corruption money to officials people first, then on monthly basis, otherwise, they will never allow you to have or operate its. 100% of business in Cambodia is like that and most of the international company pay monthly bribery to the officials of this mafia government...
KI readers,
Do you know what the name of Khmer font I should download so that I can read and write in Khmer?
Any info on this, would be much appreciated.
Pocketing millions from oil, mineral deal, hahaha, ROFLMAO, hahaha, LOL, LOL, .... hahahaha, hahahaha, ....
Let me guess, it's early April's fool, right?
study from the opec countries to see how they handle this oil and gas industry in their country. i'm sure cambodia can learn a lot from them all. i don't think it will be that bad in cambodia once people figured out some way to make it work. i think global witness may just feel anxious about how corruption can affect the newly found cambodia oil and gas business. think about it, it won't go on production until around 2011; so they (global witness) just sounding the alarm to make people aware of the possible corruption that may involve this khmer oil and gas industry. i hope cambodia will ask the middle eastern countries for technical assistance with oil ang gas management. god bless cambodia.
People are aware that the Yuon’s slave administration is run by corruption system. They are not effectively for collecting tax and generating revenue by rule.
Corruption is the mean to get rich fast for powerful individuals of the regime, but prove to be sluggish for developing and improving the country. The money ends up in the hands of the robust most of the time. Any money that reaches to the governments’ coffer is only a small fraction.
This corruption practice will never end for many generations to come in Cambodia. This government is incompetent engage in cleaning up their corruption’s ASS. That’s bcuz every level of administration is so crooked.
Blah, blah, blah, Pouk Ah Scam Rainxy trying so hard to desperately steal power from Khmer people for decades, but they are too dumb to do the job. The more they try, the better Khmer People will look. Muahahaha, ....
if this is true at all, perhaps, the companies who bought the rights to invest or bought the monopoly are the ones to blame for encouraging and tolerated corruption. i don't believe that it is so much the responsibility of the gov't in cambodia so much; everyone i.e. the investing companies or the interested investors are probably feeding corruption in cambodia, if all of this accusation is true at all! i'm sure more scrutiny will follow. plus, in politics, you will always have your enemies that wanted to spoil your reputation, etc...; so, "trust, but always verify"! remember, corruption exists in every society and country on the planet, the only difference is probably the scale or degree of corruption that going on. that said, cambodia must always be careful not to allow too much corruption that only hurt our own people and country. even corruption has a limitation as well, meaning no one should go corrupt forever; it has gotten to stop somewhere, somehow because sooner or later the law will catch up with you and then trouble. it's not worth it in the long-run! is that why some people seemed to want to keep cambodia lawless or chaotic so to allow corrupt people to get away? i'm sure khmer people will question this sooner or later! god bless cambodia.
Why is Global Witness barking all over Ki? Did someone hiring them?
asking support from the world to share among us the crooks?
remember, if people are educated enough, the marcos in the philipines in the 1970s, who's corrupting them? i'm sure the philipino people can tell you! let's avoid that same corruption practice from foreigners in cambodia!
What are you talking about? The Philippine is still corrupted. Nothing was fixed.
This week hot topics are:
Country for Sale by Hun Sen Government, and Sihanouk Nationalism or Sihanoukomunism
Hun Sen, Chea Sim, Heng Samrin, Sok An, Hor Namhong, Sar Kheng, Tea Banh, Om Yiengteang,and all members of the Khmer Government (HANOI)etc... They are thieves of the Khmer people.
THIEVES ! THIEVES ! THIEVES ! THIEVES !
If the country is already sold, why is it that Ah Scam Rainxy and his gansters are still living there? Who gave them the visa? I know the new owner (Yuon) doesn't like them, and they certainly don't like Ah lowlife potato diggers.
Hello All,
Red-Ant just wants to confirm you all to reflict and to imagine of our old Saying that now, it is the time of
"Klok lech, Ambeng Andeth" Pumpkin sunk, the matal pieces floated".
The saying is applying to nowadays in Cambodia that, the theif became Ministries and gov't workers, and Prostitutes become Jomteve. The wide and intelligent people have to live outside the country. They can not live inside Cambodia, because of these situartions.
Red-Ant.
With regard to leadership of Khmer land, HUN SEN has bred corruption from top to the bottom in public sectors. He should be called CORRUPT SEN or SEN CORRUPT. At meantime, he has plundered the country and its innocent Khmers and enriched his noble families, associates, and HANOI's children. And to cover up his sins of stealing Cambodians' resources of life, he has borrowed foreign debt to build short-lived graveled roads and schools which are named his name and own donations. It is like a thief of our pig gives us some fat and tail for cooking in order to make himself look good, helpful, and kind. Disgusting! he can only fool a fool! KhOpen,
say what?
Hi, KI teams, thank you all so much for having this blog. I enjoy reading every topic you posted and I am glad that some important words,phrases, and sentences are translated to Vietnamese language.
KI teams, this is such a bright, and wonderful idea.I believe the Viets (Yourn)in Hanoi would read the vietnamese-translated topics and be ashamed of themselves for their dirty, low moral, barbaric, inhuman politics which have made innocent Cambodian suffer for many GENERATIONS, UP UNTIL NOWDAYS.
I also like reading the meaningful comments which were carefully wrote by thoughtful Anonymous.
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