Tuesday, February 09, 2010

US ASEAN ambassador ends Cambodia trip, slams Uighur expulsions

Feb 9, 2010
DPA

Phnom Penh - A senior US envoy to South-East Asia wrapped up a brief visit to Cambodia Tuesday saying he had reiterated to Phnom Penh that Washington remained 'very disappointed' with its December expulsion of 20 Uighur asylum-seekers to China.

The US still had no news on the fate of the Uighurs, said Scot Marciel, the US ambassador for ASEAN Affairs, in charge of relations with the 10 members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations.

'We've made it clear a number of times both publicly and privately how concerned and disappointed we were by Cambodia's decision,' he said.

'We had urged the Cambodian government before they deported the people not to go that route because they had not gone through the [UN refugee agency] process to determine whether they had a legitimate claim to asylum.'

Marciel, who is on a five-nation visit as part of US President Barack Obama's strategy of greater engagement with the region, said he hoped the Cambodian government would resume its previously held 'more positive' approach to refugee issues.

Referring to China's involvement in Cambodia - it is the country's largest investor and had demanded the return of the Uighur refugees - Marciel said the US did not see the process of increasing Chinese influence in the region as 'a zero-sum game.'

'We would like to see South-East Asia achieve the goals that it has set for itself and the ASEAN movement, which is more integration, political stability, progress towards increased democracy and human rights, and certainly economic prosperity,' Marciel said. 'So we'll continue to support those.'

Referring to the ongoing tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, Marciel said the US - which he described as 'good friends' with both nations - remained concerned and hoped both countries' leaders would work to reduce tensions and find a solution.

During his visit Marciel also met with representatives from Cambodia's political opposition and with members of civil society.

His Cambodia trip follows a visit to Vietnam and Laos. He is scheduled to head to Thailand later Tuesday before flying to Indonesia to work on President Obama's visit to that country in March.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cambodian government can not issues asylum to just 20 Hughurs but he freely allow millions of eligal Youn to live in Cambodia with better previlages then Khmer citizens. All Youn and Xmer living in Cambodia have full rights to vote but not all Khmer. Pathetic!

Anonymous said...

What about Thailand deported those Hmong people who used to fight for American? I haven't heard anything from Scot Marciel!

Cambodia will never have peace if American to take side!

Anonymous said...

all khmer abroad should be united as one nation. the war is coming soon between thai and khmer. prepare for it . no one believes american system nowaday. the most corrupted nation is USA.

Anonymous said...

some khmer people living outside cambodia think they are better than those inside the country. Khmer in America don't know much about the world. they are brainwashed by cnn and local news. they think everything is invented by american. I would bet $1 million if theary seang know who is the prime minister of canada, the biggest trading partner with USA. People in this blog, especially those from the US should not criticize the government of cambodia. Khmerization, Keneth so, tith naranh kiri are all brainwashed jack ass....hahahaha. khmer cpp.

Anonymous said...

12:55 AM
You right, when I visited the USA first time in 1972. I felt not much different. Most the US people live on the country side, knew only America, what about outside of the USA was for them a real clue. They did not know where Cambodia is ?

By the way, I don't think the Khmerization, Mr. So keneth or Mr. Tith Narahnkiri are so stupid as you believed. They love our country as we all do.
One day Mr. Hun Sen will able to include these important people into the leading system to help our country, because Mr. Hun Sen is very patriotic & nationalist.

Anonymous said...

China should pay Cambodia's US loan since Cambodia paid the price of deporting Uighurs back to China. US was upset with the deportation and felt no poistion to forgive Cambodia's loan after this incident.
So factoring in that Hun claims Chinese signed $1 billion on various projects. Take away $339 then Cambodia has $661 million left for net earning. Then take each donation of $ 1-2 million from one hundred OK-GNA and CPP excellencies can easily make up the rest to pay US laon.

Anonymous said...

If America is that bad as those people alleged why majority of Cambodians people want to migrate to America? If you don't believe it go to visit all foreign embassies in Phnom Penh and see for yourself which countries Cambodians are more likely to apply to come to? Are there any Cambodians apply to live in China, North Korea, Russia, Cuba? As for me, I am proud of being Cambodian-American and I am proud of my lifestyle here in America. After working for the same company for 25 years, I am now retired at age 59 and I am being paid $1,700 per month just to stay home and do nothing. If I am in Cambodia I would have to corrupt to survive.

Anonymous said...

$1,700 per month. After taxes and deductions, there is about $1,000 left. The average decent not fancy one bedroom apartment costs about $700 to $800 per month or more. Now $200+ is left, the electricity and water bills would eat away another $120 at least. There is $80 remaining. It will have to cover the food, supplemental insurances, fuel for the car otherwise you ride the bus and providing that there are no remaining payments on that car, and phones. These are just the main needs. There are some other miscellaneous as well.

Dunno......it ain't enough.

Anonymous said...

Cambodia is heading to the wrong direction by letting million of illegal Vietnamese immigrants to live freely while abusing its own citizens, stealing their land and put them in jail. What king of goverment is this? You are pathetic, khmer leaders. If I were to go into your house, throw you off and take all of your possession, what would you say?

Anonymous said...

2:21 AM,
At least I live by my means without resorting to corruption. If you happened to be in North Texas come to visit my lakefront property and we will fish together. Oh, I forget to mention, my wife makes about $5000 a month and we live debt free. Should my wife decide to retire too I would choose to retire in Thailand and not Cambodia because I don't want to live under Khmer Rouge twice. With today's environment, Thailand is a cheaper place to retire than Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

If you worked at Boeing like me (20 years of service)you will get more:

$82.00 (per year) X 20 years

PLus my VIP (Retirement Plan) = now reached 200,000

Plus Social Security

I means over 4,000 dollars for each month, just to stay home.


I did already paid off my home mortgage.

Anonymous said...

2:21 AM,
My net pay of $1,700 retirement money is $1,594 and not $1,000 as you suggested and if you have ever been to Texas town you will realize that the cost of living there is cheaper as compared to other U.S. big cities.

Anonymous said...

I guess the blogger 2:21 have not lived and worked in the US long enough. Working for 25 years would enable the blogger 1:46 to own a nice house, three cars, and great amount of saving in bank. He also have medicare for his health care. $1,700 a month can provide a very comfortable living standard. Does Cambodia have these opportunities and benefits, Mr. blogger 2:21?

Anonymous said...

3:11 AM,
To me, America is the land of opportunity and I resent those who viewed America negatively. I'm really impressed with your $4,000 a month pension and congratulation to you, Cambodian-American who reach that level of security. This prove to local Cambodians that we, Khmer overseas, are not living low life as they alleged.

Anonymous said...

3:09 AM,

Thanks for your invitation and I also extend an invite to you and your family to my breezy tonle and cool mountain retreats if you all decide to visit Cambodia. We'll have a good old cook out and tuk tnout chou on the side. I have fine wine and cognac too if you like. Then if you don't mind, you can help me dig some clean water wells for the needy villages.

You see, on the net in a blog one can fabricate and inflate the earnings and amount of cash that they have just so that they justify the faulty image that one is trying to project in order to impress.

Well, it does not impress me. I have been to Texas. It is a vast and open state. But it is considered as a Class B city and for Northern Texas is a Class C. The pay scales for workers in this state and its sub-regions are commensurated to these classifications. So workers in Class B & C do get paid much less than the ones in Class A. On a positive note, you are debt free, good for you.

And for you my friend 3:31am, based on the figures that you have provided, that is the assembly line worker wage and compensation. Typically after 20 years of employment, one should be able to save at least $500,000 in the retirement account, 401k. But you got only $200,000. I guess your base wage doesn't allow to contribute more than that. So please.....

And 3:20am, Cambodia doesn't have these kinds of entitlements yet at the moment. But the ordinary Cambodian people make dues with what they have. They are tough and resilient. They do live more happily and dignified than you if I have to guess. I have been way way long enough in the states to know your kind and am not a stranger to the finer things in life through an honest hard work. For you, I don't think you have accomplished anything or even lived half of your potential life. So spare me....

Anonymous said...

For those who are living in America,
don't be fooled by your false security. All those things you deem as your accomplishment could be gone tomorrow.

America is on a shaky ground, had been on a shaky ground. A real quake could hit and split the continent into two. Communism is gathering steam at full throttle with Obama in the White House. Obama was trained as a communist and he been warned by Putin not to try communism in America because it never worked in former Soviet Union.

Americans owed 12 trillion dollars to the Federal Reserve, which has monopoly over the monetary system owned by private bankers. Federal Reserve is not part of the US government. And it has doubtful reserve.

The plan of the globalists is to topple America by destroying it Constitution and its currency which is back up by nothing.

Yes, America is being destroy morally. When moral constrain is gone what do you have to stand on?
Sinking sand. Yes, there has been enemies of the true Americans who have post themselves in the political arena to help farther the damage to bring America to her knees.

Keep one eye open for your freedom if you live in America, because termites are chewing on the Constitutional Structure on which she was found. The Liberty statue should have her eyes open for the justice scale been tipping in the wrong direction.

Wisconsin

Anonymous said...

US, what can you expect from an air headed Cambodian leader like Hun sen!