Cambodia lacks the ability to administer its sea waters

06 December 2009
By Pen Bona
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media
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PM Hun Xen asked the authority involved to make arrangement with Thailand about the fishing activities inside Cambodian waters. Hun Xen’s oder took place after the authority closed access to Cambodian waters to all Thai fishing boats for a period of time. The authorization to allow foreign boats to catch fish in Cambodian waters is under criticism by the opposition and civil society, however, to the government, this is the best choice to bring money to state coffer.
The administration of sea waters is a complicated issue for Cambodia. Hun Xen publicly recognized about this difficulty and, ultimately, the government allowed fishing boats from neighboring countries to come and catch fish in Cambodian waters in exchange for money paid to the state coffer.

At a speech given during the inauguration of a road construction site in Siem Reap province, next to the Thai border, on Saturday, Hun Xen explained that the administration of the vast sea waters is a difficult task. This is the reason why foreign boats are allowed to fish in Cambodian waters through mutual arrangements and understanding along with payment to Cambodian authority.

This policy came under intense criticisms from the opposition and civil society, as well as from a number of Cambodian fishermen. Critics said that the Cambodian government’s action is tantamount to allowing free reign to foreign fishermen to destroy Cambodian water resources.

According to Cambodian fishermen, Thai and Vietnamese fishing boats use modern and illegal equipments allowing them to catch huge amount fish and other sea products. These Cambodian fishermen are concerned about the destruction of fisheries in Cambodian waters, and they blame the government’s inability to administer its sea waters.

However, to Hun Xen, this is the only best possible administration because it allows the government to earn some income rather than allowing foreign boats to sneak in and fish illegally since the government cannot administer these waters.

Nevertheless, on 04 December, the Cambodian Council of Ministers recently approved a draft law to set up a national committee for open sea security. The explanation provided for the setup of this committee is to administer the sovereignty of Cambodian sea waters with the aim of protecting national resources.

19 charged in fisheries building sale scam

Friday, 26 September 2008
Written by Chrann Chamroeun
The Phnom Penh Post

PHNOM Penh Municipal Court has charged 19 people for using forged documents in an attempt to sell the government's Fisheries Administration offices on Norodom Boulevard, court officials said Thursday.

"Seventeen suspects were charged with using forged public documents. The additional two, who are believed to be the masterminds of the fraud plot [and include] RCAF Lieutenant-Colonel Saphan Dara ... were charged with forging documents," said deputy prosecutor Kry Sok Y.

Investigating Judge Chan Madyna is expected to rule soon on whether the suspects will be detained pending trial, but could not be reached for comment Thursday.

National Police Commissioner Mok Chito told the Post that "it might be too late for the court to release a warrant to detain [the suspects]," but he was confident the court would work on the case "in a careful way".

Sok Sam Oeun, director of the Cambodian Defenders Project, said the suspects could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Yong Kim Eng, president of the People's Centre for Development & Peace, said that the attempted fraud was a sign of wider problems facing the country.

"Land speculation is a big concern.... Public property belongs to the people, not to individuals," he said.