By SETH MYDANS
The New York Times
BANGKOK — China signed 14 deals with Cambodia on Monday worth approximately $1 billion, two days after Cambodia deported 20 ethnic Uighur asylum seekers under strong pressure from Beijing.
The deportation, in defiance of protests by the United States, the United Nations and human rights groups, came on the day before a visit to Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital, by Vice President Xi Jinping of China.
The package of grants and loans was signed at the end of Mr. Xi’s visit. The Cambodian Foreign Ministry quoted Mr. Xi as saying: “It can be said that Sino-Cambodia relations are a model of friendly cooperation.”
The exact value of the agreements was not announced, but the chief government spokesman, Khieu Kanharith, said they were worth $1.2 billion. “China has thanked the government of Cambodia for assisting in sending back these people,” he said. “According to Chinese law, these people are criminals.”
Members of a Turkic-speaking ethnic minority living mostly in western China, the 20 Uighurs said they were fleeing persecution in a crackdown that followed riots in which the Chinese government said at least 197 people were killed.
Hundreds of Uighurs have been detained since then and several people have been executed for involvement in the rioting. At least 43 Uighur men have disappeared, according to Human Rights Watch.
Twenty-two Uighurs entered Cambodia about a month ago, aided by a Christian group that has helped North Koreans fleeing their country. Two of the Uighurs have disappeared, the Cambodian government said.
Before being deported, several of the asylum seekers told the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Cambodia that they feared long jail terms or even the death penalty, according to statements reported by The Associated Press. In the statements, which had been provided to the United Nations in support of asylum applications, the Uighurs described chaotic and bloody scenes during the rioting.
“If I am returned to China, I am sure that I will be sentenced to life imprisonment or the death penalty for my involvement in the Urumqi riots,” said a 29-year-old man.
Another man, a 27-year-old teacher, said: “I can tell the world what is happening to Uighur people, and the Chinese authorities do not want this. If returned, I am certain I would be sent to prison.”
China is Cambodia’s leading investor, committing hundreds of millions of dollars for projects including dams, roads and a headquarters for the government Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh. In October, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China met Cambodia’s prime minister, Hun Sen, in Sichuan, China, and concluded a deal worth $853 million.
The deportation, in defiance of protests by the United States, the United Nations and human rights groups, came on the day before a visit to Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital, by Vice President Xi Jinping of China.
The package of grants and loans was signed at the end of Mr. Xi’s visit. The Cambodian Foreign Ministry quoted Mr. Xi as saying: “It can be said that Sino-Cambodia relations are a model of friendly cooperation.”
The exact value of the agreements was not announced, but the chief government spokesman, Khieu Kanharith, said they were worth $1.2 billion. “China has thanked the government of Cambodia for assisting in sending back these people,” he said. “According to Chinese law, these people are criminals.”
Members of a Turkic-speaking ethnic minority living mostly in western China, the 20 Uighurs said they were fleeing persecution in a crackdown that followed riots in which the Chinese government said at least 197 people were killed.
Hundreds of Uighurs have been detained since then and several people have been executed for involvement in the rioting. At least 43 Uighur men have disappeared, according to Human Rights Watch.
Twenty-two Uighurs entered Cambodia about a month ago, aided by a Christian group that has helped North Koreans fleeing their country. Two of the Uighurs have disappeared, the Cambodian government said.
Before being deported, several of the asylum seekers told the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Cambodia that they feared long jail terms or even the death penalty, according to statements reported by The Associated Press. In the statements, which had been provided to the United Nations in support of asylum applications, the Uighurs described chaotic and bloody scenes during the rioting.
“If I am returned to China, I am sure that I will be sentenced to life imprisonment or the death penalty for my involvement in the Urumqi riots,” said a 29-year-old man.
Another man, a 27-year-old teacher, said: “I can tell the world what is happening to Uighur people, and the Chinese authorities do not want this. If returned, I am certain I would be sent to prison.”
China is Cambodia’s leading investor, committing hundreds of millions of dollars for projects including dams, roads and a headquarters for the government Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh. In October, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China met Cambodia’s prime minister, Hun Sen, in Sichuan, China, and concluded a deal worth $853 million.
16 comments:
uighurs go home. don't use cambodia for political gain and getting attention from the world, ok! we never heard of uighurs before. who are they? why they pick cambodia for their political attention worldwide? go home already. you belong to china, ok!
Hun Sen will export cambodian products to china instead to western country. what salary a Cambodian used to get two dollars a day, will be 50 cents a day.This way Hun Sen can create more job by using ( his leu keu micro economic theory) 2 dollars to hire 4 people.So next year, 2010,Cambodia garment industries will ship its clothes via China before end up to western countries. If Cambodia has 1/2 million jobs this year, there will be two millions jobs next year and Cambodia will be very prosperous country with the great leadership,and great leap of our Angkar Leu opp! Hun Sen.
Sick Furthermore
CHINA and the USA do not now how to rescue Cambodia from Vietnamese jaws?
In relation to Cambodia, CHINA is Zero achievement, every time Chinese start to move their men or policies to influence Cambodia, the Vietcong/NVA punch in the Chinese nose first all the times.
Now the ECCC in Cambodia is indirectly control by Vietnamese government through their puppet Mr. Hun Sen/CPP government. The ECCC is charging former CHINA clients Mr. Khieu Samphan, Mr. Nuon Chea, Mr. Ieng Sary and his wife Mrs. Ieng Thirith as GENOCIDE crimes against the ethnic Vietnamese and the Cham in Cambodia. What is CHINA GOING TO DO ABOUT THAT?
BESIDE BRING MORE MONEY TO BUY Mr. Hun Sen/CPP government and perhaps to robe the whole of Cambodia through land development, ripping for Vietnam to take over again and again CHINA can not do anything to save Cambodia from Vietnam colonization.
CHINA WAS THE MAIN SUPPORTER OF KHMER ROUGE who is their clients now charging as genocide. Whereas the Vietnamese clients such as Hun Sen, Chea Sim, Heng Samrin, Hor Nam Hoang, Keat Chhon, Sam Kar, Sar Kheng, Men Sam An and much more who also GENOCIDED millions of Khmers are laughing at CHINA, USA, UN, EU, ECCC all the way to their own individual’s banks.
At this stage USA do not want to save Cambodia from Vietnam swallowing, so what CHINA must do is to wake up quickly by allying themselves with USA the same way as Mr. Deng Xao Ping did with Mr. Ronald Reagan in 1980’s and rearmed the ex- Khmer Rouge soldiers again to save Cambodia from extinction.
The condition must be attached onto those ex-Khmer Rouge troops, that those troops must be control and lead by ex-anti Vietnamese guerrilla’s leaders similar to the recipient of American Silver Cross Medal, Major Sergeant SARUN SAR of the American Special Force and many more of that types are waiting around the world and inside Cambodia to bring Vietnam and Hun Sen/CPP government to respect the 23rd October 1991 Paris Peace Agreement once more time.
Vietnamese government through their puppet HUN SEN had cheated the CHINESE GOVERNMENT, the UNTAC, the USA administrative and the whole Khmer Rouge organization by urging the Khmer Rouge to lay down their arm before 1993 and now control them like slave and master.
Now a day what CHINA hoping is to buy out HUN SEN and the whole CPP government with their money, so CHINA can have influence in Cambodia.
Vietnamese will not let HUN SEN go off their hooks so easily like CHINA wanted, if HUN SEN do want to escape from Vietnamese jaws, he will receive the same fate as his in-law former police crook-murderer Gen. HOK LUNDY.
Vietnam only allow Hun Sen as a bait to attract investment funds from China, so Vietnam who is Hun Sen master, can spare their own fund to buy 6 Sub-Marines and 12 Russian Airplanes to defeat CHINA once more time like in February 1979 from future China attack.
Vietnam at this moment will never let Chinese put a hand on Cambodia cake again, for inside Cambodia they had 100,000 NVA plus 5 million of Vietnamese illegal immigrants, and for augment sake who know how many Vietnamese militia in disguise among those 5 million illegal Vietnamese in Cambodia?
Therefore, the USA and the CHINA were manipulated by Vietnamese government again and again until they took all the South East Asian markets. Recently they took Laos, Cambodia and perhaps Thailand soon when the opportunity arises.
Vietnam smartly took Laos, Cambodia from CHINA and from the USA, and CHINA never dares to challenge Vietnam for CHINA and USA are always incapable to defeat Vietnamese hypocrisy in war or in politics, so CHINA and USA have no choice, but to unite like in 1980’s to stop Vietnam from swallowing Cambodia and to stop Vietnam expansionist strategy toward Thailand too.
CHINA CAN NOT BUY VIETNAMESE OR HUN SEN/CPP GOVERNMENT OUTRIGHT. CHINA and USA ARE THE LOOSERS TO VIETNAMESE COMMUNIST’S GOVERNMENT WITHOUT KNOWING IT, WHAT IS A SHAME!!!
Dear Khmer Kandal and Khmer Krom fighters,
On 16th December, 2009 Mr. Hun Sen said in Cambodian public that Mr. Sam Rainsy will not be tolerated again this time, he must come in Cambodia and go to Prey Sar prison (sic), or he should ask Thai government to let him form a Khmer Exile Government at the Khmer-Thai territory along the Western border.
What Mr. Sam Rainsy ought to do is neither goes to Prey Sar prison nor goes to Vietnamese court in Hanoi. If, I were him I would negotiate with Mr. Abbhisit the Thai prime minister to follow Mr., Hun Sen suggestion in forming a Khmer Exile Government at the Thai-Cambodia border. I can assure you there will 100 of thousands Khmer inside Cambodia will come to join the new Khmer Exile Government like in 1979’s.
Khmer king Norodom Sihamoni appointed Thacksin Shinawatra as Hun Sen adviser. Therefore, Mr. Sam Rainsy can form a Khmer Exile Government along Khmer-Thai border too. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WHICH CAN brings Vietnam and their slave Mr. Hun Sen/CPP to respect the 23rd October, 1991 Paris Peace Agreement by convent another international conference on Cambodia.
Mr. Sam Rainsy and his party non-violence policy towards Hun Sen/CPP will not and never be work and Vietnam does not want to understand what is democracy, what is human right and what is occupied Cambodia who was once upon the time feed, sheltered, supported Crocodile’s Vietnam to win over United States Arm forces in Vietnam War.
Regards,
Kulen Monorom
(The rice farmer’s son)
Kulen Monorom,
You obviously do not live in cambodia and so you do not care what would become of Cambodia if there is another devastating civil war. What we need in Cambodia is peace and political stability.
Kulen Monorom,
STOP WRITING SHIT!!!
"Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world."
Buddha!
Cambodia better, of course, needs to stand on its own feet rather than any one else. To tie with China is much-much better than to have a ties with America. America must learn and understand the needs of the local people in every country including Cambodia, rather than to make local people always to follow and understand the America. That's crap..! Too much and too early reaction from America on Cambodia while it doesn't fully evalaute the fact of situation.
It is really boring with America's foreign aid policy - when it's happy with any countries, aid is flowing in easily, while it's unhappy with any of those countries, the aid will be halted..! Or it puts economic sanction..! Isn't it wierd or abnormal..!
Once gain, Cambodia must stand on its own feet, then no one can warn on us..!
Cambodia need to think for herself first. When 2 millions Cambodian die during the KR regime, no one give a dam nor anyone come to help us. Now why everyone make a big deal and blame Cambodia for these 20 chinese refugee!
Cambodia gain more benefit by keeping good relation with China. China is the biggest economy and the riches nation now. Even the USA is borrowing billions from China.
USA and China don't care about Cambodia neither Cambodians.
Even if they care, they cannot afford to spend money for Cambodian problems.
They target Cambodian oil.
4:39 PM
What we need is another PEOPLE REVOLUTION to flush out the EPIDEMIC to achieve peace and political sability.
I am happy and sadden by the news that 20 lives of Uighurs will forever changed because of our government's action and at the same time, Cambodia needs aides to develop our country for the millions lives of our people... I was hoping our government would make it just a little better for the respect of human kind.
In 1979 when Cambodian refugees crossed border to Thailand, more than 10000 of them were deported back to Cambodia on the land mine zones close to Preah Vihear Temple. Did you hear something from the West at that time? I wonder now why Christian group which wanted to help Uighur asylum seekers choose Cambodia when they know fort well that this tiny Kingdom would not be able to resist the Chinese pressure? Cambodia needs to strive well in this economic turbulence. How much money we got from Western world for roads, bridges and other infrastructures? Cambodia needs to help herself first. And please not to play this blaming game against her.
It seems that the Sam Rainsy supporters are not happy when anything good happen to Cambodia. But when trouble come they love to lay blame.
Yes 11:52 PM
UN creates refugees camps
I would suggest the RGC to work with UN for Refugee and other agencies to create one refugee camp in Cambodia, so that the RGC can control any illegal immigrants who entered into Cambodia under the UN watchdog. This case, Cambodia can access and gain both international diplomatic support and other benefits. For example, Thailand did this during the Cambodia war and many Cambodian refugees were accounted for the benefit of Thailand by charging on tax including water, rice, fire wood when UN brought such humaniterian support to Cambodian refugees in the camps along the Cambodian-thai border.
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