David Boyle
The Phnom Penh Post
Opposition parliamentarian Mu Sochua has taken aim at Australian mining companies eyeing the Kingdom’s resources, travelling to their home soil to lobby the halls of power.
Opposition party lawmaker Mu Sochua speaks during a press conference in Phnom Penh in January. Photo by Heng Chivoan
Mu Sochua cited fears that Australian companies awarded exploration concessions in Ratanakkiri and Mondulkiri provinces will treat ethnic minorities there with the same disregard they had shown to their own country’s indigenous groups.
“I cannot be in Australia and not speak about mining companies that are part of the devastation of Mondulkiri,” she said in an email yesterday.
Australian mining firms Liberty Mining International and Indochine Mining Limited hold hundreds of thousands of hectares of exploration concessions in Ratanakkiri.
Another Australian firm, Southern Gold, has been granted similarly large concessions in Moldulkiri, Kratie and Ratanakkiri.
Richard Stanger, managing director of Liberty Mining International and president of the Cambodian Association for Mining and Exploration Companies, said Australian mining should be the last industry that Mu Sochua should be accusing of malfeasance.
“I can categorically say that no one has been displaced for exploration in Cambodia …particularly Australian companies. We are doing things to world class standards as far as I’m concerned,” he said.
“I’m far more concerned in the high incidents of illegal logging that has decimated the forests in Modulkiri and Ratanakkiri, so perhaps she should focus on that.”
He also emphasised that no Australian mining company had actually begun “exploiting anything” and said if they did, only a tiny fraction of the total exploration concession would be utilised.
Mu Sochua is set to meet Australian Greens Senator and Vice President Sarah Hanson-Young on Wednesday.
3 comments:
Please!...Please!... I don't want to see your face. What do you have to help Cambodia. You have left the country to abroad and came back to work in Cambodia and you are on the other party which is Som Rainsy party. And you think you are tough because you have education and have aquired degree from the US. Com'on Mou I don't want to see your face.
fomer Khmer Rouge soldier.
MP. MU SUCHUA,
Make your day until you get a Nobel Peace Laureate and save Cambodia from land concession sucked Khmer blood.
Regime change to save Cambodia Vietnamization and the clan KR, Vietminh, Sihanouk killing innocent Khmers.
GO GO MU Suchua we need a woman to run a country like Aung San Suyi in Burmanese.
Down with Cambodia Vietnamization.
Down with Land Concession to the Richer.
បើសម រង្ស៊ីនិយាយថា អា ហ៊ុន សែនជាមេឃាតករមែននោះ! តើសម រង្ស៊ីចង់ធ្វើការផ្លាស់ប្តូអា ហ៊ុន សែនយ៉ាងដូចម្តេច? តាមការបោះឆ្នោតបច្ចុប្បន្នឬ ក៏ត្រូវតែនាំពលរដ្ឋអោយហ៊ានប្រើសិទ្ធងើបឡើងតវាទូទាំងប្រទេសនិងដាក់ពាក្យបណ្តឹងទៅកាន់អង្គការICCពីបទឧក្រិដ្ឋកម្មប្រឆាំងនឹងមនុស្សជាតិ? រឿងបោះឆ្នោតគឺពិតជាទៅមិនរួចដាច់ខាត! ខ្ញុំចង់ឮតែមេដឹកនាំនិយាយអំពីតំណោះស្រាយ, រីឯសម រង្ស៊ីវិញគឺមិននិយាយអំពីតំណោះស្រាយអ្វីបន្តិចសោះ, និយាយតែរឿងផ្តេសផ្តាស។ Don't forget to go see doctor? តែបើ សម រង្ស៊ីនៅតែនិយាយពីការបោះឆ្នោត! នោះសម រង្ស៊ីគឺពីតជាពួកបង្រ្គប់កិច្ចមែន!(សូមបងប្អូនកុំទាន់ថាខ្ញុំនិយាយខុស សូមមេត្តាយកការមើលឃើញរបស់ខ្ញុំទៅធ្វើការវិភាគំ)ខ្ញុំបាទគ្រាន់តែជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរម្នាក់រស់នៅសហរដ្ឋដែលចង់អោយមានការផ្លាស់ប្តូពិតប្រាកដតែប៉ុណ្ណោះ។
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