Wednesday, August 19, 2009

More than words

Friday, 14 August
Jean Montago
Considering all this, one might be tempted to think that the Cambodian government could easily be influenced by the EU in such a way that they finally start working towards a fair and democratic society. However, as can be seen each and every day in today's Cambodia, this is not at all the case, which leaves only two possible explanations: either the EU is in reality just a weak and meaningless political entity, or it simply lacks the political will to change anything to the good here. Either way, being a European myself, I feel truly ashamed by the political role that the EU is playing here in Cambodia.
The Phnom Penh Post
Dear Editor,
090814_06
Photo by: AFP
Police officers grapple with hundreds of Mu Sochua supporters as they march en masse through the streets of Phnom Penh after the opposition lawmaker was found guilty of defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen earlier this month.

In reference to your article "EU condemns government crackdown" (August 10 2009), it was truly disappointing to read that high-ranking representatives of the EU and its member states, such as British Ambassador Andrew Mace and German Ambassador Frank Marcus Mann, have nothing more to offer than a "very clear statement to the Cambodian government".

I am sure that no one has ever made the effort to count all such very clear statements to the Cambodian government that have been made during the last year - or probably decades. However, everyone who has been following the development of Cambodian politics in recent times will certainly be well aware of the fact that all these very clear statements to the Cambodian government have done nothing, absolutely nothing at all, to improve the situation here in this beautiful but suffering country. Corruption is still endemic, critics of the government are still living in fear for their security, and the elites are still getting richer and more powerful each day, while the poor members of society have, if at all, only made much smaller progress in their personal welfare than they could have done in a just and truly democratic environment with equal opportunities for all.

The EU represents 500 million people and generates a GDP that is larger than that of the US. Moreover, the EU member states have given countless millions of dollars of what they call development aid to the Cambodian government in the past few years, and they have promised to continue funding for years to come.

Considering all this, one might be tempted to think that the Cambodian government could easily be influenced by the EU in such a way that they finally start working towards a fair and democratic society. However, as can be seen each and every day in today's Cambodia, this is not at all the case, which leaves only two possible explanations: either the EU is in reality just a weak and meaningless political entity, or it simply lacks the political will to change anything to the good here. Either way, being a European myself, I feel truly ashamed by the political role that the EU is playing here in Cambodia.

Jean Montago
Siem Reap

11 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:51 PM

    Absolutely speechless!
    Everyone , cambodians, social organisations and international communities have been frustrated for the fact that the international aids is not successful in transforming cambodia to a peace and secured country after the killing field.

    Corruption and abuse of human rights still persist.The respect of human rights is the core of democratic process has again and again been denied by RGC.

    Many institutions are considered to be vital in changing cambodia such as media or social societies are intitimidated by some mechanisms of cambodian government.

    Power syndrome seems to be choking the progresses of cambodian society. And very unfortunate that the powerless and poor are subsequently disavantaged.

    To see fit, the national constitution can be enforced by many parties agreed to, not just RGC but the countries committed to peace accords in 1991.
    Cambodian king is also assumed to honor the spirit of our national constitution. Duty of care of any social levels is to be respected.

    I trust that cambodia can change to the needs of cambodian and her survival.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous9:26 PM

    EU needs to listen more to the NGO and the opposition party and to make drastic change in dealing with the dictator.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous10:03 PM

    EU/NGO have no power if Khmer inside the country does not protest against the governement. NGO will have more power if khmer in the million stand-up against its government. However, little reaction are shown from Khmer inside the country. So what the hell EU/NGO can do? Democracy account for majority opinion, not individualism.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous12:17 AM

    If there was no fire there wouldn't be smoke either.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous12:22 AM

    WORLD NEED TO LISTEN MORE AND CAREFULLY TO WHAT MR. HUN SEN SAY!!!

    Action! can be an over do, out of controle,or an accident Then what we need to do, is corecting it,time to time!

    Word! can count some time as people foolish, stupidity, drunkard, or drunk saliva; so just ignore them as bull shit.

    BUT put Action and Word to gether! Cambodia is in a big shit that helped delivered to it by UNTAC and the rest of free world!!!!!

    WHAT THE FUCK GOING ON MAN????

    Hope you can face your own mother for pretend to be stupid like that "WORLD LEADERS?"!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous12:51 AM

    When police arrest someone or under going investigating a case, you don't fuck with the police officer. This man had an argument with the police that why police arrested him. There’s should be no excuse in this matter.

    (For those who write long sentense I will not read it.)

    Angkorian Krama Man

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous2:11 AM

    Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:

    Tortures
    Executions
    Massacres
    Atrocities
    Crimes Against Humanity
    Starvations
    Overwork to Death
    Slavery
    Rapes
    Human Abuses
    Assault and Battery


    Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:

    Assassinations
    Assassinated Journalists
    Assassinated Political Opponents
    Assassinated Leader of the Free Trade Union
    Attempted Assassinations on Chea Vichea and Sam Rainsy
    Attempted Murders on Chea Vichea and Sam Rainsy
    Executed members of FUNCINPEC Party
    Murders members and activists of Sam Rainsy Party
    Killings
    Extrajudicial Execution
    Grenade Attack
    Terrorism
    Drive by Shooting
    Tortures
    Intimidations
    Death Threats
    Threatening
    Human Abductions
    Human Rights Abuses
    Human Trafficking
    Drugs Trafficking
    Under Age Child Sex
    Corruptions
    Bribery
    Illegal Mass Evictions
    Illegal Land Grabbing
    Illegal Firearms
    Illegal Logging
    Illegal Deforestation
    Illegally use of remote detonation on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and others military official on board.
    Illegally Sold State Properties
    Illegally Remove Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
    Plunder National Resources
    Acid Attacks
    Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country
    Oppression
    Injustice
    Steal Votes
    Bring Foreigners from Veitnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
    Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
    Abuse of Power
    Abuse the Laws
    Abuse the National Election Committee
    Abuse the National Assembly
    Violate the Laws
    Violate the Constitution
    Violate the Paris Accords
    Impunity

    Under Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed all of these crimes above within Hun Sen Khmer Rouge government have ever been brought to justice.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous2:13 AM

    UNDER AGE CHILD SEX
    Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed under age child sex.
    Svay Sitha is a senior government official from Cambodian People's Party.
    Svay Sitha had a sexual relationship with Tat Marina, she was only 16 years old.
    Source: Human Rights Watch

    ACID ATTACK ON TAT MARINA
    Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed acid attack.
    "On December 5, 1999, Tat Marina, age 16, was severely disfigured in an acid attack in Phnom Penh. The attack was allegedly committed by Khun Sophal, the wife of a senior government official, Svay Sitha, because she was angry her husband had a sexual relationship with Tat Marina. Neither Khun Sophal nor those suspected of being her accomplices in the attack were brought to justice. Intense media publicity compelled the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Khun Sophal for attempted murder, but the police claimed that they could not locate her, although journalists reported that she was living at home as usual."
    Source: Human Rights Watch

    TORTURE AND MURDER ON PRAK SITHA WHILE IN CUSTODY BY MISNISTRY OF INTERIOR OFFICIAL
    Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed torture and murder.
    "On the night of January 16, 2003, a street youth named Prak Sitha was beaten to death at the Ministry of Interior (MOI) headquarters after he was arrested and detained by off-duty MOI officers on suspicion of theft. His body - bearing numerous injuries to the head, torso, arms, and legs - was dumped at a Phnom Penh pagoda the following morning by ministry officers, in violation of police regulations regarding deaths in custody. No criminal charges were filed in connection with this death. In December 2004, the case was cited by the UN secretary-general's special representative for human rights in Cambodia - who stated that Prak Sitha died at the ministry "following beatings by a known police officer" - as an example of a "consistent and continuing pattern of impunity" in Cambodia."
    Source: Human Rights Watch

    PUT SAMPHORS WAS SHOT DEAD BY MEAN SOKCHEA, A RCAF MAJOR WORKING IN BRIGADE 70.
    Hun Sen's personal Bodyguards Unit (Brigade 70) is a terrorist organization.
    Hing Bunheang is a March 30, 1997 Grenade Attack suspect identified by the FBI.
    Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed murder, again.
    "On September 4, 2008, Mean Sokchea, a RCAF major working in Brigade 70, shot dead 21-year-old waitress Put Samphors at a restaurant in Kandal province. Mean Sokchea, in a drunken stupor, fired his gun and apparently mistakenly hit Put Samphors in the stomach. She was taken to a hospital but later died of her wounds. Mean Sokchea was detained by the police overnight but was then released, allegedly after intervention by Hing Bun Heang. Put Samphor's family received US$2,700 from Mean Sokchea, and the police told them that their daughter was shot while authorities were chasing robbers."
    Source: Human Rights Watch

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous2:19 AM

    To 12:51AM Angkorian Krama Man

    Ah Khmer Krorhorm, you're support Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime who is killing innocent Khmer peoples, do me a favor don't ever tell anyone that you are Khmer, because you make Khmer peoples look bad.

    I've wonder if you have any brain cell at all. 

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous2:46 AM

    To 2:19 AM

    Khmer and Khmer have already been looked badly, why because Khmer and Khmer keep fighting to each other. The Khmer empire use to be a great empire ruled all Southeast Asia. Present day, Khmer very rarely never help out their own race, you can see there always problems never stop. You keep bringing Khmer Rouge up, let it goes, it’ past, I have families got killed as well during that regime. Of course I support Cambodian peoples’ Party ‘Samdech Daychu Hun Sen’, because I live in my country and I want may country to grow up. I don’t fight with Khmer and Khmer, I rather to fight with ‘YOUN’ who takes all Khmer job in Cambodia. I identify that I am ‘Khmer’, I am a black Khmer man who live in Siem Reap where my hometown is. You get a problem?

    Angkorian Krama Man

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous3:42 AM

    2:46AM the fucking problem is you lie and you have black mind!

    May lightning strike your evil head soon with ah Hun Xen!

    ReplyDelete