Wednesday, March 03, 2010
By Liam Cochrane for Radio Australia
ABC News (Australia)
ANZ Royal, a subsidiary of one of Australia's largest banks, has denied it is involved in a scheme that creates partnerships between private businesses and Cambodian military units.
Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen announced the initiative last week and said more than 40 partnerships had been established to provide food, medicine, tools, buildings and transport for troops and their families.
One of the businesses named as a sponsor of the Cambodian army was Metfone, a subsidiary of a mobile phone company owned by the Vietnamese military.
Another on the list was ANZ Royal, a joint partnership between Australia's ANZ Bank and one of Cambodia's biggest business conglomerates, The Royal Group.
Cambodian council of ministers spokesman Phay Siphan says the scheme reflects Cambodian culture.
"Some Cambodians on management [at ANZ Royal], they have the chance to mobilise their charity to support some [soldiers]," he said.
"The charity hasn't just been supported today, it's been years already. It's just that they have been assigned it so that the people understand who they help."
ANZ Royal has declined to comment to ABC's Radio Australia, but chief executive Stephen Higgins has been quoted in local media saying that he is unsure how his company's name appeared on the list of military sponsors, saying it might be "some type of printing error".
A statement from ANZ in Australia said "it is not appropriate for ANZ to provide support or sponsorships to individual military units in any country in which we operate".
"ANZ Royal Bank, as a subsidiary of ANZ, has not and will not be providing such support," the statement said.
Seeking answers
The initiative to formally link businesses with the military has raised concerns among human rights groups that work in Cambodia.
Naly Pilorge, a spokeswoman for the rights group LICADHO, says "it is especially concerning because some of these ministries [involved] have absolutely no link to the military, such as those that are supposed to focus on youth or women or health".
"That's the question we are trying to find the answers to, because right now it is very unclear.
"It is alarming because some of these ministries have nothing to do with the military, and for good reason."
Ms Pilorge says a similar scheme would not be tolerated in other countries.
"In most countries, developed countries and developing countries, it would be illegal for business in the private sector to openly and directly fund the milliary," she said.
"But by dealing so openly there is an assumption that the military is open to any group or any company that wishes to use the military to protect its interests and its private interests.
"We have see this over the country over the years in terms of land grabbing. We have seen the military used, especially in the rural areas... to evict people to protect the interests of economic concessions.
"This is really disturbing because legislation says the miliary is to protect citizens equally and not be used for the private interests of companies.
Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen announced the initiative last week and said more than 40 partnerships had been established to provide food, medicine, tools, buildings and transport for troops and their families.
One of the businesses named as a sponsor of the Cambodian army was Metfone, a subsidiary of a mobile phone company owned by the Vietnamese military.
Another on the list was ANZ Royal, a joint partnership between Australia's ANZ Bank and one of Cambodia's biggest business conglomerates, The Royal Group.
Cambodian council of ministers spokesman Phay Siphan says the scheme reflects Cambodian culture.
"Some Cambodians on management [at ANZ Royal], they have the chance to mobilise their charity to support some [soldiers]," he said.
"The charity hasn't just been supported today, it's been years already. It's just that they have been assigned it so that the people understand who they help."
ANZ Royal has declined to comment to ABC's Radio Australia, but chief executive Stephen Higgins has been quoted in local media saying that he is unsure how his company's name appeared on the list of military sponsors, saying it might be "some type of printing error".
A statement from ANZ in Australia said "it is not appropriate for ANZ to provide support or sponsorships to individual military units in any country in which we operate".
"ANZ Royal Bank, as a subsidiary of ANZ, has not and will not be providing such support," the statement said.
Seeking answers
The initiative to formally link businesses with the military has raised concerns among human rights groups that work in Cambodia.
Naly Pilorge, a spokeswoman for the rights group LICADHO, says "it is especially concerning because some of these ministries [involved] have absolutely no link to the military, such as those that are supposed to focus on youth or women or health".
"That's the question we are trying to find the answers to, because right now it is very unclear.
"It is alarming because some of these ministries have nothing to do with the military, and for good reason."
Ms Pilorge says a similar scheme would not be tolerated in other countries.
"In most countries, developed countries and developing countries, it would be illegal for business in the private sector to openly and directly fund the milliary," she said.
"But by dealing so openly there is an assumption that the military is open to any group or any company that wishes to use the military to protect its interests and its private interests.
"We have see this over the country over the years in terms of land grabbing. We have seen the military used, especially in the rural areas... to evict people to protect the interests of economic concessions.
"This is really disturbing because legislation says the miliary is to protect citizens equally and not be used for the private interests of companies.
8 comments:
The Cambodian Stock Market cannot operate in this situation. How should be the companies financial statements? When the book is not clear, how should people invest? There no other country in the world is doing business like Cambodia. How to attract FDI? They would not come when they know that they have to copmpete with companies that linke themself up to the Army. Please think about it again!
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
Pol Pot
Nuon Chea
Ieng Sary
Ta Mok
Khieu Samphan
Son Sen
Ieng Thearith
Kaing Kek Iev
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Tortures
Brutality
Executions
Massacres
Mass Murder
Genocide
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Slavery
Force Labour
Overwork to Death
Human Abuses
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Attempted Murders
Attempted Murder on Chea Vichea
Attempted Assassinations
Attempted Assassination on Sam Rainsy
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Assassinated over 80 members of Sam Rainsy Party.
"But as of today, over eighty members of my party have been assassinated. Countless others have been injured, arrested, jailed, or forced to go into hiding or into exile."
Sam Rainsy LIC 31 October 2009 - Cairo, Egypt
Executions
Executed over 100 members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered 3 Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered Ros Sovannareth
Murdered Hy Vuthy
Murdered Journalists
Murdered Khim Sambo
Murdered Khim Sambo's son
Murdered members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Murdered activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Murdered Innocent Men
Murdered Innocent Women
Murdered Innocent Children
Killed Innocent Khmer Peoples.
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Brutalities
Police Brutality Against Monks
Police Brutality Against Evictees
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Abuses
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Embezzlement
Treason
Border Encroachment, allow Vietnam to encroaching into Cambodia.
Signed away our territories to Vietnam; Koh Tral, almost half of our ocean territory oil field and others.
Illegal Arrest
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonation bomb on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and other military officials were on board.
Lightning strike many airplanes, but did not fall from the sky. Lightning strike out side of airplane and discharge electricity to ground.
Source: Lightning, Discovery Channel
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Removed 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.
Use Dead people's names to vote for Cambodian People's Party.
Disqualified potential Sam Rainsy Party's voters.
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
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Death in custody.
Under the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed crimes against journalists, political opponents, leaders of the Free Trade Union, innocent men, women and children have ever been brought to justice.
Hun Sen or some of the administratiors wants to pull The ANZ into his playing pool game.
Yas! we help build 2 buildings and $5,000 dollars in Cash!
That's Communist strategy to get every in your pocket.
It is Hun Sen's school of wealth micro-management and distribution 101 and 201 from Hanoi college and South Korea's business school in Pursan.
wow, AnZ.
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If found guilty, put them in jail and suspense their business. By the way and just when the rich country are going to wake up about the crook?
ក្រុមហ៊ុនទាំងអស់ដែលមានកិច្ចសហប្រតិបត្តិការជាមួយនឹងកិច្ចការផ្គត់ផ្គង់ដល់យោធា នឹងទទួលបាននួវការអនុគ្រោះដោយ ស្វ័យប្រវត្តិពីរដ្ឋ ជាពីសេសលើការនាំចូលផលិតផល និងការបង្កើតកិច្ចការវិនិយោគថ្មីៗ របស់ពួកគេ... វាគ្មានអ្វីគួអោយសង្ស័យទេ....
អំពើរពុករលួយនឹងកាន់តែខ្លាំង ក្រុមហ៊ុននោះនិងធ្វើតាមទំនើងចិត្តរបស់ខ្លួន ... រដ្ឋស្អីអោយវិស័យឯកជនរ៉ាប់រងជំនួយយោធា គួអោយអាម៉ាស់ណាស់!
AS I KNOW EVERY COMPANY THAT ARE DOING BUSINESS IN CAMBODIA DIRECT OR INDIRECT SUPPORT OF HUN SEN GOVERNMENT.
If you are not support Hun Sen, your business can not be run in cambodia now.
You have to know,"THIS IS HUN SEN COUNTRY or HUN SEN 'S HOME"
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