Thursday, 04 June 2009
Written by Sebastian Strangio and Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post
Kingdom gets mixed report from corruption watchdog.
CAMBODIA has the highest levels of bribery in the Asia-Pacific, but popular perceptions of anti-graft efforts appear to be improving, according to the latest report by global corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI).
The group's "2009 Global Corruption Barometer", released Wednesday, noted increased popular support for the government's efforts to fight corruption, but also showed corruption worsening in key areas.
According to the report, which was based on interviews with 1,019 Cambodians in the country's "main provinces", 47 percent of respondents said they or a member of their family had paid a bribe in the last year - compared with the Asian average of just 13 percent.
Perceptions of corruption in political parties, the legislature and the judiciary also increased slightly, with 62 percent of Cambodians seeing the courts as the most graft-prone institutions in society.
But the report also found that 67 percent of respondents perceived government anti-corruption efforts as "effective", up from just 29 percent in 2007.
The report found the country was one of several where "the public appears to regard corruption as less pronounced" than what is reflected in TI's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, which rated Cambodia 166th out of 180 countries in 2008.
Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said he had not seen the report, but that he was unsurprised at the support shown for the government's anti-corruption efforts.
"The government has never ignored the fight against corruption," he said Wednesday.
"The report says that 67 percent think the government is effective in eliminating corruption, but I think this figure is incorrect - it might be higher."
But Yim Sovann, spokesman for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said that the 67 percent figure was misleading, since so many Cambodians lacked the information to make an independent judgment.
"I think that [the people]... receive information from one side, such as television stations that are controlled by the ruling party," he said.
The release of the TI report comes amid controversy over recent comments by US Ambassador Carol Rodley, who cited "numerous studies" showing that Cambodia is losing up to US$500 million to corruption each year.
The statement, made in a speech at the Clean Hands anti-corruption concert at Olympic Stadium on Saturday, prompted a strong reaction Tuesday from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which labelled the comments "politically motivated and unsubstantiated", and called for their retraction.
In the wake of the government reaction, international NGO PACT announced Wednesday that it would delay indefinitely the release of its own corruption survey, scheduled for today.
Nuth Youthy, senior research officer at PACT's Mainstreaming Anti-corruption for Equity Programme, did not comment on the reason for the postponement and said he did not know when the press conference would be held.
But local observers say the government reaction was out of proportion to the comments.
"Rather than reacting negatively to the statements of the ambassador, the government should use it as a reason to investigate further," said Chheat Sreang, project coordinator at the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights.
Chan Sophal, president of the Cambodian Economic Association, agreed, saying that although it was impossible to measure corruption precisely in dollar terms, Rodley's comments were a "reminder that it is time to speed up measures combating corruption".
But Yim Sovann said that the $500 million figure was accurate and that corruption was in fact worsening in Cambodia.
"The government has no political will to push for an Anti-corruption Law, [since] many people in the CPP are involved heavily in the corruption," he said.
CAMBODIA has the highest levels of bribery in the Asia-Pacific, but popular perceptions of anti-graft efforts appear to be improving, according to the latest report by global corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI).
The group's "2009 Global Corruption Barometer", released Wednesday, noted increased popular support for the government's efforts to fight corruption, but also showed corruption worsening in key areas.
According to the report, which was based on interviews with 1,019 Cambodians in the country's "main provinces", 47 percent of respondents said they or a member of their family had paid a bribe in the last year - compared with the Asian average of just 13 percent.
Perceptions of corruption in political parties, the legislature and the judiciary also increased slightly, with 62 percent of Cambodians seeing the courts as the most graft-prone institutions in society.
But the report also found that 67 percent of respondents perceived government anti-corruption efforts as "effective", up from just 29 percent in 2007.
The report found the country was one of several where "the public appears to regard corruption as less pronounced" than what is reflected in TI's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, which rated Cambodia 166th out of 180 countries in 2008.
Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said he had not seen the report, but that he was unsurprised at the support shown for the government's anti-corruption efforts.
"The government has never ignored the fight against corruption," he said Wednesday.
"The report says that 67 percent think the government is effective in eliminating corruption, but I think this figure is incorrect - it might be higher."
But Yim Sovann, spokesman for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said that the 67 percent figure was misleading, since so many Cambodians lacked the information to make an independent judgment.
"I think that [the people]... receive information from one side, such as television stations that are controlled by the ruling party," he said.
The release of the TI report comes amid controversy over recent comments by US Ambassador Carol Rodley, who cited "numerous studies" showing that Cambodia is losing up to US$500 million to corruption each year.
The statement, made in a speech at the Clean Hands anti-corruption concert at Olympic Stadium on Saturday, prompted a strong reaction Tuesday from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which labelled the comments "politically motivated and unsubstantiated", and called for their retraction.
In the wake of the government reaction, international NGO PACT announced Wednesday that it would delay indefinitely the release of its own corruption survey, scheduled for today.
Nuth Youthy, senior research officer at PACT's Mainstreaming Anti-corruption for Equity Programme, did not comment on the reason for the postponement and said he did not know when the press conference would be held.
But local observers say the government reaction was out of proportion to the comments.
"Rather than reacting negatively to the statements of the ambassador, the government should use it as a reason to investigate further," said Chheat Sreang, project coordinator at the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights.
Chan Sophal, president of the Cambodian Economic Association, agreed, saying that although it was impossible to measure corruption precisely in dollar terms, Rodley's comments were a "reminder that it is time to speed up measures combating corruption".
But Yim Sovann said that the $500 million figure was accurate and that corruption was in fact worsening in Cambodia.
"The government has no political will to push for an Anti-corruption Law, [since] many people in the CPP are involved heavily in the corruption," he said.
14 comments:
I am shock, shock, shock-- there is high corruption in Cambodia.
corruption has existed in cambodia for years. there are so many villas and expensive cars. the salary is low. whre they have the money to purchase all those property.
No wonder about that. It's a government of the robbers from top to buttom, who have been motivated by blind greed to commit all kinds of corruption. As long as a society of laymen exist, so does the corruption. In Western countries where laws are strickly enforced to punish the corrupted, yet the corruption exists; but the one who commits wrong-doing will be furiously chase and arrest to be punished according to the power of the laws while in Cambodia where the corruption has started from the top who represent as a role model and briberies are very powerful, criminals are most of the time allowed to go unpunished.
9:14PM, where have you been all these times? There's not much secret under the sun. It does not matter how well you hide your secret, sooner or later it will be revealed by yourself or by you close associates.
correction: chased, arrested
10:04 PM,
From the blindness of us all: the international Community!
9:14 PM,
Me too... I'm sooo shock that I almost have a cadiac arrest.
Hey mates Hun Sen, Sok Anh, and other cronies, keek up with corruption, so that later all Cambodian people will be sooo proud of your achievements! Go on mates, go on, it's absolutely MARVELOUS!!!!!
May God bless Cambodia and her people!
An international observer
June 4, 2009
Her Excellency Carol Rodley
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Embassy of the United States of America
No. 1 Street 96
Sangkat Wat Phnom
Khan Daun Penh, Phnom-Penh
Cambodia
Your Excellency,
I am writing to you as one Ambassador to another in the hope that you might reflect upon the remarks you made at the “Clean Hand” concert at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh on May 30 which you will doubtless be aware have caused both controversy and offence.
While I happily pay tribute to your distinguished contribution to the Foreign Service of the United States of America over many years including as Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Cambodia, I am both surprised and disappointed that you should choose to make such inflammatory comments.
I know this is your first posting as Ambassador and that you only took up your appointment in October 2008. However, I am sure you will be familiar with the overriding principle to which diplomats of all countries normally adhere (particularly Ambassadors), namely that we seek to maintain neutrality at all costs and refrain from commenting on the internal affairs of the nation to which we have been appointed envoy. If I may say so, this principle would seem to have served the worldwide community rather well over many years.
While you are of course entitled to your personal opinions, the danger of expressing them publicly is that they can be interpreted as being politically motivated which immediately compromises your reputation as an impartial observer of Cambodia and an honoured guest.
In this instance there is the possibility that you may be seen by some as having allied yourself with the discredited views of the international pressure group Global Witness which continually engages in virulent and malicious campaigns against the Royal Government of Cambodia.
Your remarks would also appear to contradict what we were told was a refreshing new approach to foreign policy by the United States, initiated by President Barack Obama and already being embraced by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; to forge constructive new relationships with other nations based on mutual trust and respect.
I hope that you will now reconsider your remarks - which appear to have been based on misinformation - and take urgent steps to clarify your position.
Needless to say I am more than happy to discuss this matter further with you and by whatever means of communication you prefer.
Kind regards,
Hor Nambora
Ambassador to the Court of St James’s
Media Enquiries: Ambassador’s Office 44 020 8451 7947, Chief Political Advisor,
Mr. Paul Sengky 44 020 8451 7946
Ah Hor Nam Bora can eat my shit and die now!!!
One Viet from Saigon
Hi 10:12:
Let me suggest you a famous and classic American movie call Casablanca. You will enjoy it.
9:14
To:Mr Ho? Nam Bora
Hun Xen Ambassador to the Court of St. Jame's
You are close to be right about what you wrote to the American Ambassador to the Kingdome of Cambodia!
You may be too young, you did not know about history of the second Kingdome, or you educated by your own father to be an Ambassador of his collaborator Mr. Hun Xen! I kind of beleive that you must have PhD from Hanoi too! Its is a meca of your kind of people any way!
Mr. HO?, If you know what happening in 1993 to the Kingdome of Cambodia, It started its birth by the Paris Agreement. And on the Agreement that signed by your master Mr. Hun Xen himself too, there is a clause that say New Cambodia will be alway under watch of the cosignators counties for the right of people of Cabodia.
The donor countries gave your goverment respect for 16 years, but you CPP of Hun Xen keep doing worst every years for corruption, human right abused, Killing, traficking of children sex and drug!
What do you want now mr Ho! don't we all know your father was a Khmer Rouge killer too!
Ask your master Hun Xen to clean his dirty acts or soon he will be arrest by the international court!
Go to real school if you can, PhD fro Hanoi!
From Victime of the Khmer Rouge.
Dear H.E. Hor Bora,
I support your comments to Rordley, but a few things that I want to hear from you, honestly, I have not learned the diplomatic policy, so I am very ignorant, please share your thoughts with me a)what the freedom of Speech means to you? b) what the freedom means to Americans in general? c) what freedom of speech means to ambassadors, do they really free? and d) if you were US ambassador and saw something was wrong, on behalf of US ambassador, would you say something about that or just keep quiet? because that is internal affairs.
Thanks sir H.E
Regards
To ambassador Hor Nambora
You know very well that corruption is the cancer of our beloved country. You know that this cancer is an obstacle to the development of the Kingdom and to eradicate poverty of our miserable people. Why you and the ruling officials are so stubborn to recognize the fact? It is the reality in all level of our society fabric!!!
I was one the other side of the stadium that day. I listened to the US ambassador speech, I told my wife that ambassador's estimation of corruption cost of the country is certainly under estimated according what we see in our daily life as "petit peuple". Carol Radley said in this event: to the young generation of Cambodian people, we help you to combat corruption, in this struggle America is your friend and your partner. My wife and me told our son: see son, to Cambodia America is capable of the worst in the past as of the best right now.
No ambassador Hor, what bother you and your group is that during this event, the enthusiasm of young generation of Cambodians have expressed their determination to reject corruption and to combat it for the sake of the bright future of our beloved country. They expressed their dugust for your and your group corrupt practice. I saw myself through the big screen, Carol Radley in the middle of the young Khmers, they were so happy to be there. This scene has nurtured in you, jealousy because no one from your group can gather this kind of momentum.
To be positive my dear ambassador however compatriot, you have power now, instead of attacking the wrong target, please tell the PM whose words equal God's commendement in Cambodia, that we need to get rid of corruption now, we need this corruption law now and together we have to combat corruption and we must consider this struggle as national cause.
Thank you.
That letter was like using a gold-plated toilet paper - the purpose, is to wipe off the shit from an ass hole while looking good.
why a guy who is just an ambassador posted to a totally different country than the person, to whom he addressed his letter, got so upset and write to another country's ambassador.
If his job is to be a diplomatic guy posted to england, why is he doing the job that should belong to Phnom Penh people???
Focus on your duty representing cambodia to england, Carol Rodley is from the USA, you got no protocol to send her any lecture. Don't these guys in Phnom Penh have any balls to handle it according to response protocol?
He preached and lectured protocol, but what was he thinking by acting like he was a Prime Minister/president. Overreaching!
Mr. HO? want to show that he can replace Hun Xen!
Watch out Hun Xen, H? Nam Hong may be too old but his son is not, and they relate to your masater Ah Ho Chi Minh!
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