By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
24 November 2009
A widely anticipated anti-corruption law will be passed next month, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced Tuesday.
The law, which has been in draft stage for more than 10 years, must be passed by Dec. 11, Hun Sen said.
Donors have been pushing for the law for years, threatening to withdraw funding and aid if the government did not move forward with its passage, and civic groups and government critics say it is long overdue.
Transparency International this year ranked Cambodia 158th of 180 countries, just above Laos and Burma, and the US estimates the country loses as much as $500 million a year to corruption.
Hun Sen said Tuesday that now that a modern penal code has been passed, the anti-corruption law would be considered.
"I officially announce that the anti-corruption law will not be delayed anymore,” he said. “Within this year, the Cabinet will pass the long-awaited anti-corruption law.”
The announcement was welcomed by opposition officials and others who see corruption as a main impediment to the country’s development, at a time when land disputes and social injustices have drawn heavy government criticism.
“I wish what Hun Sen announced could come sooner,” said Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party. “Cambodians have suffered from corruption and injustice for a long time.”
Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party, welcomed the announcement, but cautioned, “it has not reached the end yet.”
The law, which has been in draft stage for more than 10 years, must be passed by Dec. 11, Hun Sen said.
Donors have been pushing for the law for years, threatening to withdraw funding and aid if the government did not move forward with its passage, and civic groups and government critics say it is long overdue.
Transparency International this year ranked Cambodia 158th of 180 countries, just above Laos and Burma, and the US estimates the country loses as much as $500 million a year to corruption.
Hun Sen said Tuesday that now that a modern penal code has been passed, the anti-corruption law would be considered.
"I officially announce that the anti-corruption law will not be delayed anymore,” he said. “Within this year, the Cabinet will pass the long-awaited anti-corruption law.”
The announcement was welcomed by opposition officials and others who see corruption as a main impediment to the country’s development, at a time when land disputes and social injustices have drawn heavy government criticism.
“I wish what Hun Sen announced could come sooner,” said Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party. “Cambodians have suffered from corruption and injustice for a long time.”
Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party, welcomed the announcement, but cautioned, “it has not reached the end yet.”
11 comments:
OH MY LOK TA ONLY FUCKING TEN YEARS LATER.......SOMBODY GOTTA ASSINATE AH FCUKING HUNSEN ALREADY ....THIS IS GETTING TO BE TO FUCKING RIDICULOS
THE KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA CAN SHINE WAY HARDER RIGHT NOW IF THIS FUCKING MORON HUSEN IS DEAD.....INCLUDING ALL HISS CPP FAG FRIENDS...................I WOULD LOVE TO GO CAMBODIA AND CALL ALL THESE MOTHERFCUKERS OUT AND BEAT THERE ASSES TO DEATH ....BUT IF I DID IT WOULD PUT MY FAMILY IN CAMBODIA IN DANGER................THATS HOW FUCKED UP IT IS.................FUCK AH HUN SEN STUPID FUCK..........AND FUCK THAILAND
ah kwack hun sen has more than 1 billion dollar in his fucking Bank account already. That is the reason why, he wants to pass the anticorruption law...after Sam Rainsy lobied hard for it....it is better late than NEVER....however, the enforcement of this law MUST be STERNED!
Corruptions destroying country...
No more corruption. Good for the poor and the travelers. Who want to go to a country that is full of curruption? It is disgusting and shame. It will work if it starts from the big leader and the small will follow.
People have to maintain the law and respect it. This will lead the country into prosperity. jeay yo Cambodia. New high hope for the coutry! Yes, free orruption.
What a great step for everyone to move forward.
Like the blind, leading the blind. Will corrupt judges pass sentences of ''guilty '' on other judges and high ranking officials?
Will corrupt officials in the ''anti corruption unite' press charges against their superior bosses?
The anti corruption law, like every other law in Cambodia will be just a bit of paper.
Even the law is passed, it still the same. No one care that law just a piece paper.Keep my word and will see.
Can we have a softcopy of this Law please?
it's about time. god bless cambodia.
Nobody follows the law of traffic in Cambodia. This anti-corruption law won't change anything. It's the people that need to change. The whole world is corrupted, but Asia is just more obvious.
well, despite some individuals' skeptical or pessimistic view, the anti-corruption law must be allowed or encouraged to be passed into law so corrupted people will have to deal with the law if they so continue to be corrupted despite being super rich or whatever already! of course, cambodia needs to have this law so people will be punished or at least educated or humiliated, especially those in the leadership position, really! yes, it's about time.
and it's also overdue for cambodia to have a term limit in prime minister position as well. there ought to be a debate about have a term limit law in office, really!
8:24: I agree that the law has to be passed as it is long overdue. But keep in mind, passing the law and enforcing the law are two very different things.
What I foresee when this law is approved in the National Assembly is that there will be selective enforcing...
A pity really...cambodia has so much potential for growth if only the leaders are willing to do what is right.
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