World Bank halt irks officials - រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ខក​ចិត្ត​នឹង​ធនាគារ​ពិភព​លោក

អ្នកភូមិបឹងកក់ម្នាក​​ឈ​រកាន់បដាតវ៉ា ក្នុងពេល​កន្លងមក។ សុវណ្ណ ភីឡុង

Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Don Weinland និង ឃុត សុភចរិយា
ភ្នំពេញ ប៉ុស្តិ៍

ភ្នំពេញៈ រដ្ឋា​ភិបាល​បាន​សម្តែង ការ​ខក​ចិត្ត​កាល​ពី​ម្សិល​មិញ​ជា​មួយ​ការ​ប្រកាស​របស់​ធនាគារ​ពិភព​លោក​ ​ដែល​ថា នឹង​បញ្ឈប់​ការ​ផ្តល់​ប្រាក់​កម្ចី​​ថ្មី​​ដោយ​សារ​បញ្ហា​ជម្លោះ​ដី ធ្លី​នៅ​តំបន់​បឹង​កក់​​ រាជ​ធានី​ភ្នំ​ពេញ។ រដ្ឋា​ភិបាល​នឹង​លើក​យក​បញ្ហា​នេះ ​ទៅ​ពិភាក្សា​ជា​មួយ​​គណៈ​កម្មាធិការ​ប្រតិបត្តិ​របស់​ធនាគារ​ពិភព​លោក​។

លោ​ក ផៃ ស៊ី​ផាន អ្នក​នាំ​ពាក្យ​ទីស្តី​ការ​គណៈ​រដ្ឋ​មន្រ្តី ​បាន​ថ្លែង​ពី​ម្សិល​មិញ​សំដៅ​ទៅ​​គម្រោង​ចំនួន​២១​ ​ដែល​ទទួល​មូល​និធិ​ពី​ធនាគារ​ពិភព​លោក​ថា​៖«​យើង​ពិត​ជា​មិន​រីក​រាយ​ជា​ មួយ​នឹង​សេចក្តី​សម្រេច​របស់​ធនាគារ​ពិភព​លោក ​ពី​ព្រោះ​យើង​ជា​ដៃ​គូ​លើ​គម្រោង​ជា​ច្រើន​។ ​គម្រោង​នីមួយ​ៗ​ ​គឺ​ជា​កិច្ច​ព្រម​ព្រៀង​​ដែល​ភាគី​ទាំង​ពី​រ បាន​​ធ្វើ​ជា​មួយ​គ្នា ហើយ​គ្មាន​ភាគី​ណា​មាន​សិទ្ធិ​រំលោភ​បំពាន​លើ​កិច្ច​ព្រម​ព្រៀង​ទាំង​នេះ​ ទេ​»។

លោក​ស្រី Annette Dixon នាយក​ប្រចាំ​ប្រទេស​របស់​ធនាគារ​ពិភព​លោក​បាន​ថ្លែង​នៅ​ក្នុង​សេចក្តី ​ថ្លែង​ការណ៍​មួយ​ផ្ញើ​មក​ភ្នំពេញ​ប៉ុស្តិ៍​ពី​ម្សិល​មិញ​ថា ​ប្រាក់​កម្ចី​​ចុង​ក្រោយ​របស់​ធនាគារ​ផ្តល់​មក​កម្ពុជា​គឺ​នៅ​ខែ​​​ធ្នូ​ ឆ្នាំ​២០១០​។

លោក​ស្រី​បាន​ថ្លែង​បន្ត​ទៀត​ថា​៖«​ប្រសិន​មិន​មាន​កិច្ច​ព្រម​ព្រៀង​ឈាន​ដល់​ដំណោះ​ស្រាយ​ណា​មួយ​ ជា​​មួយ​ប្រជា​ជន​នៅ​បឹង​កក់ នោះ​​នឹង​មិន​រំពឹង​ថា ​​ផ្ត​ល់​ប្រាក់​កម្ចី​ថ្មី​​ទៀត​ដល់​​កម្ពុជា​​ទេ​»។

លោក​ស្រី​បាន​ថ្លែង​ថា ​ធនាគារ​ពិភព​លោក​នឹង​បន្ត​ធ្វើ​ការ​ងារ​ជា​មួយ​រដ្ឋា​ភិបាល ​​ដើម្បី​ធានា​ថា ​កាតព្វ​កិច្ច​ផ្លូវ​ច្បាប់​នៃ​គម្រោង​ដែល​មាន​ត្រូវ​បាន​បំពេញ​។

សំណើ​លើ​គម្រោង​ចំនួន​៣​ ដែល​មាន​ទឹក​ប្រាក់​​១២៨​លាន​ដុល្លារ​អាមេរិក​ ​កំពុង​​រង់​ចាំ​ការ​យល់​ព្រម​ពី​ធនាគារ​ពិភព​លោក​។ នេះ​បើ​យោង​តាម​គេហ​ទំព័រ​របស់​ធនាគារ​ពិភព​លោក​។

លោក ផៃ ស៊ី​ផាន​ បាន​ថ្លែង​ថា រដ្ឋា​ភិបាល​គ្រោង​នឹង​ដោះ​ស្រាយ​បញ្ហា​​ជា​មួយ​​ថ្នាក់​គ្រប់​គ្រង​កណ្តាល​ និង​គណៈ​កម្មាធិការ​ប្រតិបត្តិ​ធនាគារ​ពិភព​លោក​ ប៉ុន្តែ​មិន​ទាន់​មាន​ពេល​វេលា​ជាក់​លាក់​នៅ​ឡើយ​ទេ​អំពី​ការ​ពិភាក្សា​នេះ​។

ក្រុម​អង្គការ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស និង​តំណាង​ប្រជា​ជន​នៅ​បឹង​កក់​​ដែល​កំពុង​ប្រឈម​​ការ​បណ្តេញ​​ ចេញ​ពី​លំនៅ​ដ្ឋាន​បាន​សារទរ​ចំពោះ​សេចក្តី​ប្រកាស​របស់​ធនាគារ​ពិភព​លោក​កាល​ ពី​ម្សិល​មិញ​ ដោយ​ថ្លែង​ថា​ការ​បញ្ឈប់​​ផ្តល់​ប្រាក់​នេះ​ នឹង​អាច​ជំរុញ​ឲ្យ​អង្គការ​ដទៃ​ៗ​ទៀត​​លែង​បន្ត​ជំនួយ​របស់​ខ្លួន​រហូត​ ទាល់​តែ​​ជម្លោះ ដី​ធ្លី​ត្រូវ​បាន​ដោះ​ស្រាយ​។

លោក​ សៀ​ ភារម្យ ​នាយក​លេខា​ធិការ​ដ្ឋាន​ក្រុម​ការងារ​ពិសេស​នៃ​សិទ្ធិ​លំនៅ​ដ្ឋាន បាន​ហៅ​សេចក្តី​សម្រេច​របស់​ធនាគារ​ពិភព​លោក​​នេះ​​ថា​ ជា ​«គំរូ​ល្អ​មួយ​» សម្រាប់​អង្គការ​ដទៃ​ៗ​ទៀត​ដែល​ផ្តល់​​ជំនួយ​ដល់​កម្ពុជា​។

លោក​ សៀ​​ ភារម្យ បាន​បន្ត​ថា​៖ «​ធនាគារ​ពិភព​លោក​រក​ឃើញ​ថា​ មាន​ការ​រំលោភ​បំពាន​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​ នៅ​ទី​នេះ​។ ដូច្នេះ ប្រសិន​បើ​អង្គការ​ដទៃ​ផ្សេង​ទៀត​នៅ​តែ​គាំទ្រ​ផ្តល់​ជំនួយ នោះ​មាន​ន័យ​ថា​ពួក​គេ​កំពុង​គំាទ្រ​ការ​រំលោភ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​នៅ​កម្ពុជា។ ខ្ញុំ​គិត​ថា ទីភ្នាក់ងារ​ផ្តល់​ជំនួយ​ដទៃ​ទៀត​នឹង​ធ្វើ​ដូច​គ្នា​នេះ​ដែរ»។

តំណាង​មក​ពី​ស្ថាន​ទូត​ជប៉ុន​ត្រូវ​បាន​រាយ​ការណ៍​ថា បាន​ជួប​ជាមួយ​មន្រ្តី​សាលា​រាជ​ធានី​កាល​ពី​ម្សិល​មិញ​ដើម្បី​ពិភាក្សា​អំពី​បញ្ហា​បឹង​កក់​។ នេះ​បើ​យោង​តាម​មន្រ្តី​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​សុំ​មិន​បញ្ចេញ​ឈ្មោះ​៕

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Wednesday, 10 August 2011

Don Weinland and Kouth Sophak Chakrya

The Phnom Penh Post

The government expressed disappointment yesterday with the World Bank’s announcement that it had halted new country loans due to the ongoing land dispute at Boeung Kak lake in Phnom Penh and vowed to raise the issue with the bank’s executive board.

“We are very dissatisfied with the World Bank’s decision because we are partners on several projects,” Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said yesterday, referring to the 21 projects the bank now funds in the country.

“Each programme is an agreement the two parties have made with each other. No one has a right to breach these contracts.”

Annette Dixon, World Bank country director, said in a statement sent yesterday to The Post that the bank’s last loan to Cambodia was in December 2010.

“Until an agreement is reached with the residents of Boeung Kak lake we do not expect to provide any new lending to Cambodia,” she said.

Dixon said the World Bank would continue to work with the government to ensure that legal obligations concerning existing projects are met.

Three proposed projects, worth US$128 million, are still awaiting approval from the World Bank, according its website.

Phay Siphan said the government plans to address the issue with the World Bank’s central management and executive board, but no timeline has been set for talks.

Rights groups and a spokeswoman for lakeside residents facing eviction lauded the World Bank’s announcement yesterday, saying the freeze may push more organizations to discontinue aid until land disputes are resolved.

Land disputes at Boeung Kak Lake drew national attention in 2008 when construction for an upscale housing development flooded surrounding villages. More than 20,000 people in total face relocation according to rights groups.

Sia Phearum, secretariat of the Human Rights Task Force, called the World Bank decision a “good model” for other organizations that provide Cambodia with aid and cheap loans.

“The World Bank has found human rights violations here. So if others still support the county with aid, that means they are supporting human rights violations,” Sia Phearum said.

“I think other aid agencies will do the same thing.”

Representatives from the Embassy of Japan reportedly met with Phnom Penh municipal government officials yesterday to discuss the Boeung Kak lake debacle, a government source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. City Hall records show a representative from the Japanese Embassy was scheduled to meet with Governor Kep Chuktema yesterday at 2 pm, but Japanese Ambassador Masafumi Kuroki said the embassy had no scheduled meetings with the local government.

Tep Vanny, a representative for lakeside residents facing eviction, said villagers had heard about the meeting with the Japanese embassy and were pleased that Japan, a major aid contributor to the Kingdom, was engaging the government on the issue. Representatives from the community have petitioned – to no avail – for involvement from the Chinese embassy in the past.

Sia Phearum said that the Cambodian government, as a member of the UN, will eventually need to mend relations with the World Bank, and expressed hope that the discontinuation of new loans would bring about an agreement at the lakeside.

“This could change the directions of the talks in the future,” he said.

Erdos Hong Jun Investment Company, a Chinese construction firm, holds a 51 percent stake in the Boeung Kak lake development, according to Chinese governmental documents obtained by The Post.

Shukaku Inc, a company tied to Senator Lao Meng Khin, reportedly made 49 percent of the investment.

In the first quarter of 2012, Erdos plans to break ground on some $2 billion in investments in the Kingdom. The company plans to build a power plant in Sihanoukville and an alumina mine in Mondulkiri province, according to the documents.

approval from the World Bank, according its website.

Phay Siphan said the government plans to address the bank’s suspension of funds with the World Bank central management and executive board, but said no timeline has been set for talks.

Rights groups and a spokeswoman for lakeside residents facing eviction lauded the World Bank’s announcement yesterday, saying the freeze may push more organisations to discontinue aid until land disputes and human rights abuses are addressed.

Land disputes at Boeung Kak lake drew national attention in 2008 when construction for an upscale housing development flooded surrounding villages. More than 20,000 people in total face relocation, according to rights groups.

Sia Phearum, secretariat of the Human Rights Task Force, called the World Bank decision a “good model” for other organisations that provide Cambodia with aid and cheap loans.

“The World Bank has found human rights violations here. So if others still support the county with aid, that means they are supporting human rights violations,” Sia Phearum said. “I think other aid agencies will do the same thing.”

Sia Phearum said the Cambodian government, as a member of the UN, will eventually need to mend relations with the World Bank, and expressed hope that the discontinuation of new loans would bring about an agreement at the lakeside.

“This could change the directions of the talks in the future,” he said.

Representatives from the Embassy of Japan reportedly met with Phnom Penh municipal government officials yesterday to discuss the Boeung Kak lake debacle, according to a government source who spoke on condition of anonymity. City Hall records show a representative from the Japanese embassy was scheduled to meet with Governor Kep Chuktema yesterday at 2:00pm, but Japanese Ambassador Masafumi Kuroki said the embassy did not meet, and had no scheduled meetings with local government officials.

Tep Vanny, a representative for lakeside residents, said villagers had heard about the meeting with the Japanese embassy and were pleased that Japan, a major aid contributor to the Kingdom, was engaging the government on the issue. Representatives from the community have petitioned – to no avail – for involvement from the Chinese embassy in the past.

Erdos Hong Jun Investment Company, a Chinese construction firm, holds a 51 percent stake in the Boeung Kak lake development, according to Chinese governmental documents obtained by The Post. 

Shukaku Inc, a company tied to Senator Lao Meng Khin, reportedly made 49 percent of the investment.

In the first quarter of 2012, Erdos plans to break ground on some $2 billion in investments in the Kingdom.

The company plans to build a power plant in Sihanoukville and an alumina mine in Mondulkiri province, according to the documents.