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| U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia Carol A. Rodley, and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Scot Marciel, right, meet with Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong in Phnom Penh. (Photo: AP) |
Thursday, 15 September 2011
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh
“It prevents countries like Cambodia from fully realizing their potential.”
US Ambassador Carol Rodley said Thursday that Cambodia’s ongoing corruption prevents the country from moving forward and is scaring off foreign investors.
The ambassador spoke at a national seminar in Phnom Penh aimed at bolstering civic engagement in development and tackling corruption.
“It prevents countries like Cambodia from fully realizing their potential,” Rodley said in opening remarks. Corruption undermines good governance and “hinders economic and social development,” she said.
“It erodes the confidence that citizens have in their government and in the rule of law,” she said.
Rodley said corruption, which costs the government an estimated $500 million a year, drains money from public coffers and “often makes international businesses think twice” before investing.
“The government of Cambodia acknowledges this,” said Keo Remy, a spokesman for the Anti-Corruption Unit, a government body tasked with fighting graft under a 2010 law that donors had sought for years.
The government is undertaking an education campaign across the country to curb the practice, he said.
However, Hang Chhaya, a member of Transparency Cambodia, said the fight against corruption was taking place with little information available publicly.
“We want to see transparency in the fight against corruption,” he said.
Australian Ambassador Penny Richards said the battle against corruption was not the government’s alone. It also takes a “strong coalition” of civic groups, she said.
6 comments:
If you build a strong home for your family but somehow the builder got a lose brick beneath the structure of your home; will that home be strong? This is just an example of the corruption in the Cambodian government today... Will HUN SEN CPP government serious about cleaning corruption or not is another question in itself. Talk is cheap.... We want to see action in a public way. Our future is affecting on how this gov't doing its job.
US Ambassador Carol Rodley is 100% right about corruption and investment.
Why is our gov't so stupid to understand that???
But then we should ask the question, does Madame Ambassador just talk or be courageous enough to take a leading role with other majors donors to force for concrete result? It's been almost 2 decades that they have allowed Hun Sen and his cronies to flourish at the expenses of the nation and the people. Yes, talk is cheap. We want to see concrete actions and results.
Without strong pressure and conditions on financial aids, Hun Sen and his crooks will never take the world seriously. Take the World Bank as an example and how solution came about when it froze the country's loan? Right there. Sam Rainsy has called for the last 15 years for accountability, setting benchmarks for achievement, but they don't listen. Talk about human values, democracy, human dignity and rights, but they are truly committed to their core values by allowing land evictions to continue wide spread across the nation. Please it's about time, mean what we say and say what we mean. Talk is cheap, indeed.
Correction, I meant to say " ..they are not committing to their core values.."
The free world that is, all corrupted for the benefit of each nation's interests and in Cambodia's case somewhat collectively. A major tune up on the Paris Peace Accord is long over due. Isn't it time to get serious about democracy and human rights?
someone got to keep reminding khmer gov't to be mindful of corruption, really!
បោះឆ្នោតមិនឈ្នៈពួកអាក្បត់ជាតិខ្វាក់ ហ៊ុន សែនទេ! ដាច់ខាតគឺមិនឈ្នៈទេ! សព្វថ្ងៃយួនជាងប្រាំពីរលានអ្នកទៅហើយបងប្អូន! បើនៅតែនាំគ្នាភ្នើៗឡប់ៗឆ្កួតៗ! បើដឹងថាបោះឆ្នោតមិនឈ្នៈគេហើយនៅតែនាំគ្នាបោះទៀត។ បោះចុៈបោះឡើងអស់ដី អស់ពូជសាសន៍ខ្មែរហើយខ្មែរនឹងក្លាយទៅជាកញ្ជៈយួនហាណូយ។ ចុៈការងើបបៈបោរឡើងទូទាំងប្រទេសដើម្បីដេញទម្លាក់ក្បាលពួកវាបានហើយអាចរំដោះប្រទេសយើងបាន ហេតុដូចម្តេចបានជាមិនព្រមនាំគ្នាធ្វើ?។
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