Vietcong Deputy PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc visits Cambodia

August, 15 2012
VNA/VNS

CAMBODIA – Viet Nam always attaches great importance to strengthening ties with neighbouring Cambodia for the benefit of the two nations, said Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on August 14.

The statement was made when the Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister made a courtesy visit to Cambodian Standing Deputy Prime Minister, Men Som An.

Phuc, member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam, is heading a delegation officially visiting Cambodia at the invitation of Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Ke Kim Yan from Aug. 14 to 16.

Phuc emphasised that the traditional friendship between the two countries has been built-up by the contributions of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the benefits of the two nations.

Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos determine to enhance co-op in combating drugs

December 08, 2010
Xinhua

The 10th tripartite/bilateral ministerial meeting on drug control cooperation between Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos began on Wednesday.

Ke Kim Yan, chairman of the Cambodia's National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD), called for more cooperation among the three countries to achieve the ASEAN free of drugs by 2015.

"There are flaws in cooperation among the three countries in combating drugs,"Ke Kim Yan said during the opening ceremony.

He said that the three countries should intensify more cooperation to complete the flaw of cooperation in order to prevent circulation, production, farming drug crops at border areas of the three countries and turn the border areas as the wall to prevent production, plantation, circulation, smuggling, transit, and consumption of drugs.

"We need more efforts and cooperation to combat drug criminals to achieve the ASEAN free of drug by 2015,"he said.

Moek Dara, secretary general of the NACD, told reporters after the opening ceremony that Cambodia is actively combating against drug criminals.

In 2010, 320 cases of drug offensives have been cracked down with 638 suspects including 63 foreigners (three Laotians) and drugs were seized for destruction, he said.

He added that the number of drug addicts in Cambodia is still stable at 6,000 drug addicts. Currently, 1,119 drug addicts have been in the centers for drug quit and education.

The three-day meeting is attended by 84 drug officials from Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.

The Laotian officials led by Soubanh Sritthirath, chairman of the Lao National Commission for Drug Control and Supervision, and Vietnamese officials led by Le The Tiem, deputy minister of Public Security and permanent member of the National Committee on AIDS, Drugs, Prostitution Control of Vietnam.

Khmer Intelligence News - 25 November 2009

KHMER INTELLIGENCE NEWS

25 November 2009

First challenge to Hun Sen's foreign policy (1)

In a November 19 "message to the Cambodian people" opposition leader Sam Rainsy blasted Prime Minister Hun Sen for "playing a dangerous game" in his recent dealings with Thailand. The message reads, "Mr. Hun Sen is using a classical tactic to divert the Khmer people's attention" from other more serious problems such as "government corruption and incompetence" in the face of the economic crisis, by "exacerbating tensions" with Thailand. At the same time, he "forgets" to say that Cambodia has been losing large portions of her territories to Vietnam. The message concludes, "Cambodia should remain neutral in any internal dispute in any other country. Any spillover from the current tension or unrest in Thailand could be very detrimental to Cambodia, [which could be] set ablaze as past experiences have shown when we unnecessarily and unwisely took side in our neighbours' internal disputes."

Full text in Khmer at http://tinyurl.com/ybh45eo

Official translation in English at http://tinyurl.com/y8ls6k8

CPP Trinity dispute Sam Rainsy's border allegations (1)

The CPP Trinity made up of CPP and Senate President Chea Sim, Prime Minister Hun Sen and National Assembly President Heng Samrin wrote on November 16 to King Father Norodom Sihanouk in order to respond to Sam Rainsy's allegations that Vietnamese authorities have been grabbing Cambodian farmers' land in Svay Rieng province.

The country's top three leaders claim, "Up to now, not a single Cambodian farmer [living near the border with Vietnam] has lost their rice field [because of alleged border encroachments by the Vietnamese authorities]." Read their letter in Khmer at http://tinyurl.com/ylexj9s

But countless villagers who live in the border area and have lost their rice fields because of effective border encroachments by the Vietnamese authorities, confirm what Sam Rainsy said in his November 7 letter in French to the King Father http://tinyurl.com/y8p79td

Villagers' grievances can be heard by clicking at http://tinyurl.com/ybj39re (SRP video tape), at http://tinyurl.com/yaordzv (RFA video tape) and at http://tinyurl.com/yjeerop (RFA audio tape).

Army report confirms border encroachments by Vietnam (1)

A 1999 report by then Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) Commander-in-Chief General Ke Kim Yan to Prime Minister Hun Sen indicates that Vietnam has been surreptitiously and illegally annexing stretches of Cambodia's territories in several provinces along our eastern border since 1979. The newly leaked report details several cases where Vietnamese civilians protected by armed soldiers or militiamen grabbed land belonging to Cambodian farmers and moved border markers well inside Cambodian territory. Read the original 8-page report in Khmer at http://tinyurl.com/yjypg2s

Land grabbing due to both internal and external reasons (2)

An increasing number of Cambodian farmers are falling victim to land grabbing that is due to both internal and external reasons. Only a few opposition Members of Parliament led by Sam Rainsy have stood up against those human rights violations and held protests on the spot.

To watch protests against land grabbing in inner Cambodia (Kampong Chhnang province and Phnom Penh) please click at http://tinyurl.com/yz88hsc and at http://tinyurl.com/ylhkuap

To watch a protest against land grabbing on Cambodia's border (Svay Rieng province) please click at http://tinyurl.com/yk7w9tq

Cambodia's Border Committee raises its voice (1)

The independent Paris-based Cambodia's Border Committee (CBC), which has been denouncing the Phnom Penh government policy with regard to border delineation process, issued on November 23 a statement giving its point of view on the current judicial proceedings against Sam Rainsy whom the government accuses of incitement, destruction of public property and threatening national security. The CBC argues that the wooden poles which Sam Rainsy symbolically pulled out, were not public property because they were planted on a private property without the consent of its legal owner. There had been no expropriation proceedings and no compensation paid to the land owner. Therefore the owner had the right to dispose of the wooden poles in question. Read full statement in French at http://tinyurl.com/ycqyz5t

Thaksin to receive $425 per month from the Cambodian government (3)

Following his appointment earlier this month as the 117th official adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen, fugitive former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will receive a monthly salary of US$425 from the Cambodian government. Strangely enough, among the legion of Hun Sen's advisers, Thaksin has been given no special status such as "Senior Adviser" or "President of the Prime Minister's Advisory Council." He just seems to be "primus inter pares."

[End]

How about Ke Kim Yan and Rasmei Kampuchea? - Op-Ed by Angkor Borei News

Click on the article in Khmer to zoom in

Even Ke Kim Yan reported Vietnamese encroachments ... unlike what the three Hanoi Stooges claimed

A BIG Thank You to Soksan of http://lg-media.blogspot.com for sharing this information!

Now I want all compatriots as well as ultra-pro-Viet officials go to review the report by Ke Kim Yan, former RCAF Commander-in-Chief, sent to Hun Xen under his previous position. I got it from my crony who has worked for Hun Xen’s government.

Soksan
Originally posted at: http://lg-media.blogspot.com

Click here to read the entire Op-Ed by Soksan

Click here to read Ke Kim Yan's official report in Khmer

National Authority Claims Drug Use Declining

By Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
30 September 2009

Illicit drug use has decreased over the past four years, officials said Tuesday, following crackdowns on manufacturing facilities inside the country.

“If our law enforcement agencies had not suppressed in time manufacturing locations, hundreds of thousands of people inside and outside Cambodia could have suffered,” Ke Kim Yan, head of the National Authority for Combating Drugs, said on Tuesday, opening an Asean conference on drugs.

The number of illicit drug users decreased from more than 7,000 in 2005 to nearly 6,000 last year, according to report released by the authority during the meeting.

In the first half of 2009, the authority investigated 140 drug-related cases, leading to 287 arrests and the confiscation of more than 70,000 methamphetamine tablets, more than 1,000 grams of methamphetamine called ice, and more than 10,000 liters of saffron-rich oils, which are used in methamphetamine production, the report says.

Despite these numbers, officials from non-governmental organizations working with drug addicts say the number of users is actually on the rise.

Chhoeung Reut, a coordinator for the group Korsang, which works with drug users, said there are between 50 to 100 new users every three months.

“Illicit drug use is increasing at the moment because of the availability of imported drugs such as ‘yama’ [methamphetamine pills], ice and heroine,” he said.

“These days, we also see between 10 and 20 new users every month, in addition to the more than 1,000 drug users we are working with,” said Pin Sokum, drug program coordinator at Friends, which works with street children addicted to drugs.

Many drugs come to Cambodia via the Golden Triangle, an opium-producing region in Southeast Asia, though local drug producers also produce some. Cambodia has 14 private and state-owned treatment centers, but the national drug authority said these often only separate addicts from the drugs temporarily.

Cambodia, Vietnam cooperate to fight against drug trafficking [-Hun Xen begging Vietnamese help again?]

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Vietnam will strengthen bilateral cooperation to fight against drug trafficking crossing the two countries, an official said on Monday.

"Primer Minister Hun Sen held talks Monday with visiting Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong at Cambodian National Assembly," the premier's spokesman Ieng Sophalet told reporters after the meeting.

During the meeting, Ieng Sophalet said, "Hun Sen requested Vietnamese side to help building a drug rehabilitation center for Cambodian victims because Vietnamese side have more experience and abilities in dealing with the drug cases."

"The center also will play a key role for helping to provide the vocational training for those victims. Their families also have suffered from the drug cases," Ieng Sophalet said, adding that after they left the center, they will have appropriate jobs and skills in the future.

"Vietnamese thanked the bilateral cooperation and the cooperation between the police authorities from both sides to fight against and crack down the drug matters crossing border of the two countries in the past years," Ieng said.

Both sides have considered drug users as not criminals but they all are victims from drug problems, he said, adding that Vietnamese side also expressed a strong commitment to help reduce the drug cases in Cambodia.

Truong Vinh Trong, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the committee of combating Drug, Aids, and Prostitution, arrived here Monday and will meet with senior General Keo Kim Yan, chairman of the anti-drug authority of Cambodia on Tuesday for bilateral cooperation.

Hun Sen's Cambodia and Hanoi combat drug crime together ... and they also oppress Khmer Krom People together

Ke Kim Yan and Truong Vinh Trong

Vietnam, Cambodia combat drug crime together

Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Source: TN, VNA

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong assured Cambodia of providing stronger links to combat drug-related crimes during a meeting with the country’s senior narcotics squad in Ho Chi Minh City Tuesday.

Trong told Ke Kim Yan, Cambodian deputy prime minister and president of the National Committee for Drug Control, that the two countries should enhance their channels of information as well as provide each other with regular assistance in drug control, drug detox facilities, rehabilitation and in the management of former drug addicts.

“Vietnam has recorded some achievements in the fight, including successful models of detoxification centers and community-based and voluntary detoxification, vocational training and job placements for former drug users,” said Trong.

In response, the Cambodian deputy PM expressed satisfaction with the assistance Vietnam was providing in the fight against drug trafficking. He said Cambodia was looking for more information and help from Vietnam to train its drug squads and open drug detoxification centers and improve joint initiatives in the fight against cross-border drug crime.

On the same day, Yan, who leads the senior delegation from the Cambodian Committee for Drug Control, met with Major General Lam Minh Chien, deputy general director of the Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security.

Chien briefed Yan on drug crimes in Vietnam, focusing on drug dealers and traffickers from overseas and the country’s experience of tracking down and breaking up drug gangs.

The Cambodian delegation is scheduled to visit several detoxification centers in HCMC and depart Vietnam on June 12.

Pis A Vek Sen - "The Cobra Hun Sen" - A Poem in Khmer by Srey Sra'em

Click on the poem to zoom in

Poem in Khmer by Srey Sra'em

Ke Kim Yan takes reins of drug bureau [-Will Ke Kim Yan be able to arrest govt officials involved in drug trafficking?]

Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Written by Sam Rith and Christoper Shay
The Phnom Penh Post

General Ke Kim Yan, former commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, was officially named Tuesday as head of the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) in a move that Prime Minister Hun Sen said signalled the government's renewed focus on eliminating Cambodia's drugs trade.

Hun Sen urged authorities from all levels at an announcement ceremony to crack down on drug distribution "immediately", saying that drug deals had too often been ignored.

"Even though the distribution and sale of drugs is on a small scale, it causes anarchy and insecurity in society," he said.

Son Chhay, a Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker, said Ke Kim Yan was stepping into a difficult job, but that his influence in the army could make him particularly effective at stamping out the cross-border drug trade.

He said drugs smuggling relied on the support of a few high-ranking army officials.

"He knows the officials under his command, and if there are any soldiers involved in the drug business, he can take measures to combat trafficking," Son Chhay said.

Anand Chaudhuri, head of the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Cambodia, said that over the years the drugs authority had worked closely with UNODC and notched a number of successes, but that the drug trade remained a problem.

"[Drug trafficking] is an increasingly complex problem, but the drug police have been increasingly tracking and monitoring it," he said.

Between 2000 and 2009, the NACD arrested 3,531 people and collected 2,693,407 amphetamine pills, 105 kilograms of heroin and 14 tonnes of dried marijuana, according to the authority's data.

Graham Shaw, a technical adviser at the WHO, said drugs trafficking remains a critical issue.

"From a public health perspective, the law enforcement approach has failed everywhere else in the world. Why would it be any different in Cambodia?"

Gen. Ke Kimyan re-affirmed that there is no divisions with CPP leadership

Reported by Khmerization

Gen. Ke Kimyan (pictured), the sacked Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), re-confirmed that there is no international divisions within the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), reports everyday.com.

In the first public appearances in Banteay Meanchey province since his sacking in February 2008, Gen. Ke Kimyan, who has since been appointed deputy PM in charge of combatting drugs, said: "There is no problem with the my removal (from my position as RCAF commander-in-chief). But the opposition parties said that we are divided. There is no divisions because if we are real patriots and we shall serve the nation and the people in whatever capacity we are given."

He continued: "In fact it is my honour and the honour of Banteay Meanchey province that the government and the party have confidence in me to hold a very high position within the government."

Gen. Ke Kimyan talked about the honour for Banteay Meanchey province because there are three people from Banteay Meachey who are currently serving as Deputy Prime Ministers, including himself, Mr. Yim Chhaly and Mr. Nhek Bunchhay.

Gen. Ke Kimyan, who represented Banteay Meanchey province, had thanked PM Hun Sen for appointing him deputy PM.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Terminator

Click on the cartoon to zoom in

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Khmer Intelligence News - 25 March 2009

25 March 2009

King Sihamoni discreetly left Cambodia (2)

King Norodom Sihamoni very discreetly left Cambodia earlier this week for China and/or France.

Retired King Sihanouk not to testify before Khmer Rouge Tribunal (2)

A compelling reason for Retired King Norodom Sihanouk not to return from China to Cambodia is related to the fact that the Cambodian government doesn't want him to testify before the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Phnom Penh. Many people want to see this embarrassing tribunal disbanded as soon as possible by creating as many (political, procedural, judicial, administrative, financial) problems as possible.

Reasons for looming instability (2)

Among the reasons for the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit to include Cambodia among the world's most politically risky countries in the face of the global economic crisis are: systemic land grabbing possibly leading to a land revolution in this predominantly agricultural country, unparalleled social injustices as reflected by the increasing gap between the privileged few and the vast majority of the population who live in dire poverty, unprecedented corruption destroying the nation's social fabric (Cambodia is also ranked among the world's most corrupt countries), government's unwillingness or inability to tackle the economic and financial crisis without undermining the very foundations of the regime.

Ke Kim Yan was rehabilitated thanks to Vietnam (2)

Leaders of the Vietnamese Communist Party have recently intervened in favor of disgraced former army chief Ke Kim Yan, who finally avoided prosecution for alleged involvement in illegal land deals and was appointed as Hun Sen's 10th deputy prime minister. Vietnam wants to secure political stability in Cambodia by preventing dangerous power struggle within the CPP leadership.

Foreign currency reserves evaporating (2)

The National Bank of Cambodia has seen its foreign currency reserves evaporate. NBC Governor Chea Chanto indicated at a recent Council of Ministers meeting that the country is seriously suffering from a rapidly deteriorating current account balance (sharp drop in exports and tourism) and capital outflows (reversal of foreign investment inflows). Taking also into account fiscal revenue shortfalls and subsequent budgetary problems, the government will be unable to meet its obligations in the next few months. See “Sharp drop in customs revenue” and “State budget for 2009 in jeopardy” (KI News, 11 March 2009).
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ARCHIVES

11 March 2009

Sharp drop in customs revenue (2)

In the 2008 state budget, the Customs Department accounted for over 60 percent of all tax revenue, which is a relatively high figure in the region. For 2009, it should collect US$585 million, a figure that now looks impossible to achieve given the ongoing economic slowdown.

For the first two months of 2009, customs revenue reached only US$64 million compared to US$86 million for the same period last year, which represents a 25 percent drop [adjusted for the collection of a US$7 million duty pertaining to 2008].

State budget for 2009 in jeopardy (2)

The government will soon be obliged to revise downward the state budget for 2009 that was adopted last December because it is unable to collect the projected revenue. See above news “Sharp drop in customs revenue” while knowing that the fall in revenue also holds for other sources of income. The projected 2009 budget amounts to US$1.75 billion compared to US$1.37 billion for the 2008 budget, representing a 28 percent increase. This 28 percent increase will likely evaporate and be replaced by a decrease instead. Cambodia is facing the world economic crisis with a collapsing budget, let alone a strong budget with an appropriate economic stimulus package.

Ke Kim Yan fired ... and replaced by Pol Saroeun, a loyalist of Hun Sen: Power struggle among the CPP?

Ke Kim Yan (L) and Pol Saroeun (R)

Cambodian armed forces commander fired

2009-01-22
Associated Press

The head of Cambodia's armed forces was dismissed from his post Thursday and replaced with a longtime loyalist of Prime Minister Hun Sen with whom he served in the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s.

A royal decree announced the removal of Gen. Ke Kim Yan, the commander in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, who was replaced by his deputy, Gen. Pol Saroeun.

No reason was given for the move. Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said it was a normal reshuffle, which was initiated by the government.

After Ke Kim Yan, 53, failed to support Hun Sen's 1997 coup against then co-Prime Minister Norodom Ranariddh, he was marginalized and left without any real power. He was threatened several times with dismissal by the prime minister, whose control of the country is virtually unchallenged.

Ke Kim Yan joined the Cambodian armed forces in 1979 and became its head in 1999. Politically he allied himself with Hun Sen's rivals in the ruling Cambodian People's Party leadership.

Pol Saroeun, meanwhile, is known to have close ties to Hun Sen. Both served during the communist Khmer Rouge regime that took power in 1975, and both fled the murderous group before it was ousted in 1979.

Several other top members of the ruling Cambodian People's Party are also former members of the Khmer Rouge, whose radical policies are widely considered responsible for the deaths of at least 1.7 million people though execution, starvation, overwork and starvation. Several members are the regime have been charged with war crimes at a U.N.-backed genocide tribunal.

'Tug of War' Over Top Military, Defense Ministry Posts Said Stirring Up Again

07 Apr 08
By Den Sorin
Moneaksekar Khmer
Translated from Khmer by Anonymous

A high-ranking Cambodian People's Party [CPP] official said that despite agreement within the CPP concerning the positions in the armed forces, it is not yet certain that there would be no changes because contestants are waiting to see the balance of forces between the two sides and the post-election actual situation first.

Previously Hun Sen wanted to have Neang Phat replace Tea Banh as Defense Minister and Kun Kim as armed forces Supreme Commander. However, if such an arrangement was made Hun Sen would have total control of the armed forces and Chea Sim would then be even more meaningless than now when he is already meaningless. Therefore, the party elders urged both sides to exchange positions between Ke Kimyan and Kun Kim, for Hun Sen wanted Kun Kim to replace Ke Kimyan as armed forces Supreme Commander while Chea Sim wanted Ke Kimyan to replace Tea Banh as Defense Minister.

Hun Sen consented to such a trade-off and the situation inside the CPP concerning power in the armed forces became calm for a while. However, recently the tug of war inside the military ranks within the CPP stirred up again because Hun Sen wanted to change his mind concerning the top post in the Ministry of National Defense as he did not wish to see Ke Kimyan have it.

The CPP official meanwhile said that Hun Sen recently strongly censured Tea Banh for not knowing how to use diplomatic language when he talked with the Vietnamese leaders, leading the state news agency controlled by the Communist Party of Vietnam to publish a report about Tea Banh's call on the Vietnamese Defense Minister to provide assistance in maintaining security during the elections, a report promptly quoted by the state-controlled Agence Khmere de Presse.

The CPP official said that the Defense Minister is expected to handle the administration's political affairs. Therefore, the Defense Minister needs to be a person well-versed in diplomacy. Because Tea Banh showed his inexperience in diplomacy Hun Sen wanted to remove him from the Ministry of National Defense while the Chea Sim side wanted Ke Kimyan to replace Tea Banh since Ke Kimyan's seat at the armed forces Supreme Command was snatched by Hun Sen and given to his close confidant Kun Kim. However, Hun Sen now wants to renege by expressing his desire to take over both the armed forces Supreme Commander's and the Defense Minister's posts. This has caused quite a commotion inside the party.

The CPP official further disclosed that Hun Sen has steadily promoted Neang Phat in preparation for him to be seated in the Defense Ministry's top post. People inside the armed forces previously predicted that the Defense Minister's seat would surely go to Moeng Samphan, an in-law of Hun Sen, because Moeng Samphan was seen getting promoted quite often. However, after Moeng Sampohan stopped being a Hun Sen in-law, Hun Sen instead reserved this top post at the Defense Ministry for Neang Phat. For this reason, Neang Phat has been seen promoted to four-star general and made Hun Sen's personal adviser with a rank equal to that of a minister. He recently was given the title of Senior Minister so that he could hold the Defense Minister's post.

The CPP official said that in this third term Defense Minister Tea Banh is also Deputy Prime Minister. In the next term the Defense Minister probably will not double as Deputy Prime Minister, but will be just a Senior Minister. Nevertheless, the question of who between Ke Kimyan and Neang Phat will be Defense Minister has no sure answer to it yet because the key to Hun Sen's remaining Prime Minister is still in the hands of the Chea Sim group. Therefore, if Hun Sen really goes back on his word there surely will be an implosion of problems.

Military Ranks Said Sold To 'Chinese, Taiwanese' To Raise Money for Army Chiefs

21 Dec 07
By Srei Ka
Moneakseka Khmer
Translated from Khmer and posted online

There is a ridiculous story emanating from the armed forces. It is about the sale of military ranks to make money for the chiefs to finance their electoral campaigns. We are not sure whether this story is a joke made up by some officers or it is a true story. But if it is true, it surely is a most sadly hilarious anecdote. However, even if it is not true it still sounds like it is, for at the end of this year [2007] there have been many promotion requests at the colonel and general levels.

An officer attached to the Defense Ministry said that some of the aspiring officers want a star but lack the supporting status; so, they ask for additional posts to be given concurring to their present positions, such as becoming advisers to a minister or a state secretary so that they can get a star. Others are already bearing a star but seek auxiliary duties even if they are posts without portfolio so that they can get another star. And those who already have two stars on their shoulders are also striving to have three stars.

This officer at the Defense Ministry said that if the four-star rank is not the topmost echelon in the armed forces reserved for the elite only, thereby inaccessible to most, many people would have scrambled to be given four golden stars, especially those who have a lot of money. This officer further said that the three-star rank, too, is not easy to get but there are quite a few three-star generals in the armed forces because the rich can buy three stars just by making themselves advisers to the leader. In particular, those with one star or two stars can be numbered by the metric tons. We say this because Hun Sen recently claimed in public that if we weigh the stars [on the generals' shoulders] we can have tons of them. However, the government does not have any measure to prevent this inflation of ranks.

The officer at the Defense Ministry pointed out that just in Brigade 70, of which according to the work structure or military cadre the commander must be only a one-star brigadier, there are already dozens of officers bearing stars. Although in the armed forces at present there are already thousands of generals, especially generals with one star or two stars, promotions are announced with no end in sight. There are promotions virtually every month.

Seeing this inflation of military ranks, some curious minds have asked for the reason behind the promotions. This question has been responded with some mockery that ranks are being sold to make money for the chiefs to finance their electoral campaigns.

In time of war the military ranks were accorded on combat merit. Any units that went to the battlefields and won successes and those who served the tasks of the fighting forces well were given promotions as encouragement. Therefore, in time of war the military ranks were promoted according to the merit, the feats, and the sacrifices of each combatant. Now, however, things are not the same. Ranks are awarded not because of merit or achievements but on how much money one can afford to pay. Some persons do not even know where the barracks is but they are seen bearing stars like other generals.

Many with stars nowadays are claimed by some officers as being of Chinese roots because their names are not purely of Khmer origin. This has caused some resentment among the veteran fighters who have to salute or kowtow to those big daddies and big brothers from Chinatown who have never been in a barracks before. This statement should not be construed as racial discrimination. We are talking about fairness to the veteran soldiers because many have been soldiers all their lives but have no money or high ranks and instead are being insulted.

Some officers said that it is tolerable to them for the Chinese living in Cambodia and are Cambodian citizens to pay for the military ranks. But what is unacceptable is that some factory owners who are mainland Chinese or Taiwanese but they, too, bear stars on their shoulders. This is too ridiculous.

Asked to explain the existence of high-ranking officers who never know their quarters, barracks, or units, the military personnel experts say that ranks are being sold to get money for financing the chiefs' electoral campaigns because the 2008 national elections are approaching. A number of army commanders have been going to the localities one after another. When they canvass they need money. If you do not sell the ranks, where can you get money for the chiefs?

The officer at the Defense Ministry said that a scrutiny of the list of the year-end promotions shows that there are many who will get promoted. Despite the monthly promotions, there has been no reduction or halt to them. This has made some foreign military observers claim that in 3 or 4 years to come Cambodia will no longer have foot soldiers. There will be only officers with stars commanding fellow officers with stars because the commanders and deputy commanders, as well as the bureau chiefs, all have the same number of stars. If the chiefs and the subordinates all have high ranks, then who will salute whom, who will obey whom?

The officer at the Defense Ministry said that there is no problem if there are too may big shots. What is the problem is that the personnel experts have said they are selling ranks to make money for the chiefs to finance their electoral campaigns. A star costs not in the thousands but in the tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, it sounds plausible when they talk about selling ranks to make money for financing the electoral campaigns.

We do not know whether Prime Minister Hun Sen is aware of this or not, but the officers at the Defense Ministry as well as the Armed Forces Supreme Command said that we should ask Tie Banh, minister of national defense, and Ke Kimyan, supreme commander of the armed forces, and we will know the answer unless they have not reported it to Hun Sen. However, whether Ke Kimyan and Tie Banh report this or not, Hun Sen must know about it because he is the one who signs the promotion requests to be submitted to the King. Therefore, Hun Sen must be well aware of what is happening.

Indochinese Federation army?

October 17, 2007
Vietnamese PM: Vietnam, Cambodia should promote military cooperation

The armies of Vietnam and Cambodia should promote cooperation to protect and develop their countries, and contribute to keeping peace in the region and the world, local newspaper Vietnam News on Wednesday quoted Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung as saying.

The cooperation is very important to preventing crimes and defeating hostile forces to ensure national stability, Dung said while meeting with visiting Ke Kim Yan, Commander-in-Chief of the Cambodia Royal Army on Tuesday.

The two armies should continue their joint sea patrols and support the two countries' relevant agencies in planting border markers, Dung said.

Yan said the Cambodia Royal Army would closely cooperate with the Vietnamese Army to keep peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

Also on Tuesday, Yan met with Nguyen Khac Nghien, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army. The two sides agreed to strengthen exchanging military staff and defense information, and returning remains of Vietnamese soldiers and experts who died in Cambodia during wars.

They also informed each other about the two countries' situations regarding security, national defense, socioeconomic development and army expansion.

Source:Xinhua

Ke Kim Yan in Vietnam to receive Hanoi's marching order

17/10/2007
Cambodian general visits Vietnam

Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces General Ke Kim Yan began his official visit to Vietnam on October 16.

At a meeting hosted by Vietnam’s Chief of General Staff, Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Khac Nghien, the Cambodian general said that the Cambodian people are eternally grateful to the Vietnamese army for liberating them from the genocidal Pol Pot regime.

Host and guest then held talks where they briefed each other of political and security situation, socio-economic performance and the building of their armies in their respective country.

They agreed that the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and the Command-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces will continue to speed up their cooperation in the future.

That cooperation will cover the exchange of visits, the personnel training, production, the sharing of defence-security information, the search and repatriation of remains of fallen Vietnamese volunteer combatants and experts in Cambodia, they said.

They went on to note that the two armies will also work to preserve and foster the traditional friendship between the two people in line with the guidelines of "good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long term durability".

In the afternoon, General Ke Kim Yan and his entourage paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung before enjoying a banquet hosted by Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Khac Nghien.

Source: VNA

Big brother Nguyen Tan Dung's order to little brother Ke Kim Yan: "...enhance cooperation between Cambodia and Vietnam’s armies..."

17/10/2007
Prime Minister receives Cambodian general

“It is important to enhance cooperation between Cambodia and Vietnam’s armies in order to ensure peace and stability in each country, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

The Vietnamese leader was receiving in Hanoi on October 16 Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces General Ke Kim Yan.

The PM specified that the two armies should continue promoting joint sea patrols, help agencies complete land border marker plantations, repatriate the remains of Vietnamese soldiers who died in Cambodia and enhance the exchange of high-level delegations.

"The Cambodian people are always grateful to the support of the Vietnamese Party, Government and People’s Army," the Cambodian general said.

The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces will cement ties with the Vietnamese People’s Army to preserve peace, stability and development in the region, he added.

Earlier, General Ke Kim Yan met with Vietnam’s Chief of General Staff, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Khac Nghien.

Source: VNA

Hun Sen Said Disliking Supreme Commander Ke Kim Yan for Having Too Much Land

Ke Kim Yan (Bottom right) (Photo: AFP)

01 Oct 07
By Srei Ka
Moneakseka Khmer
Translated from Khmer and Posted online

According to a senior officer of the Cambodian People's Party [CPP], Hun Sen is angry with Ke Kimyan because he sees that Ke Kimyan owns too much land. It is not known whether Ke Kimyan bought the land from the people or he just grabbed it. However, it is a fact that vast tracts of land in the regions controlled by the armed forces have become Ke Kimyan's personal property, such as in Kampong Spoe province. The same officer said that in the Pong Peay area where a Korean company is investing without laying out any capital in the CamKo City project, Ke Kimyan also owns quite a huge tract of land there. And we are not talking about a number of other provinces.

Therefore, because he sees that Ke Kimyan owns so much real estate, which partly affects some development projects and crop plantations of the people, Hun Sen is not very pleased with Ke Kiyan. However, in reality Ke Kimyan's land is not located in industrial zones but is mostly agricultural land for fruit tree growing. As such, he cannot easily sell these plots of land and is therefore obliged to keep them, thus making him look so rich in land everywhere because the land he owns is not very sought-after.

As for the other CPP officials, they are wilier as they seek only to own land in industrial zones, which can be easily traded for great profits that they immediately deposit in banks. Hence, these officials are not seen as owning much land. For instance, Cham Prasith, minister of trade, and Sok An, minister of Council of Ministers Cabinet, apparently do not own hundreds of hectares of land like Ke Kimyan but each plot of land they own can fetch millions of dollars on the market.

This officer said that some CPP army chiefs, police officers, and high-ranking officials make a lot of money and are busy sending it to overseas banks. Sending and packing money to be deposited in foreign banks is not very obvious. No one knows how much money flows out because in Cambodia there is no anti-corruption law. When an official takes office, or leaves it, he does not have to declare his assets at all. Therefore, no one knows how many hundreds of millions of dollars these officials have.

According to this CPP officer, Ke Kimnyan's possessions cannot be compared with those of the civilian officials around Hun Sen like Cham Prasith, Sok An, Keat Chhon, Pen Simorn, Chea Chanto, or Chan Sarun. Let alone these civilian officials, Ke Kimyan's cannot be compared even with the assets of fellow army chiefs and police officers, such as Moeng Samphan, Kun Kim, Pol Saroeun, Meas Sophea, and Hok Langdi.

This CPP official said that between Hok Langdi and Ke Kimyan, the former being National Police Director General and the latter Armed Forces Supreme Commander, Hok Langdi is by far the richer. He did not know from where Hok Langdi has accumulated his fortune, but his son who is training as a pilot in Australia can afford to pay $100,000 a month for renting an airstrip. If Hok Langdi is not loaded, how can he do such a thing? However, comparing the land ownership between Hok Langdi's and Ke Kimyan's, the latter beats the former by a mile. Hok Langdi does not own much land but he has a lot of money, which is not very obvious to most observers. As for Ke Kimyan, he does not have a lot of money but he has a lot of land albeit not easily sellable but very visible. For this reason, Hun Sen is said to dislike Ke Kiyan, who owns so much land but does not make huge contributions to the CPP coffers like other police chiefs and army commanders. In fact, besides owning land, Ke Kimyan is not as rich as other CPP police officers, army chiefs, and senior officials.

An economic expert said that any country would do well if corrupt officials use the proceeds from their national-asset stripping acts to build factories and enterprises or to invest in various fields in the country, making the country prosper and helping bring jobs for the people so they can make money and live a better life. This is called poverty reduction because the looters of the national assets use the national money to invest in their own nation.

According to past observation, Cambodian officials known to own millions of dollars usually divert their money overseas and seek investors to come invest in Cambodia from abroad instead, thus keeping their own money fallow. It is frequently seen that some mainland Chinese having only $100-200.000 do not hesitate to sink their small capital in Cambodia and, enjoying the complicity of some corrupt government officials, they usually become rich in the end, making millions in profit, which they take back to their own country. Because Cambodian officials tend to send their money abroad, it is normal that a country with a great outflow of capital like Cambodia sees its domestic economy slump.

At the same time, this economic expert said, however, that it is probably because the Cambodian officials are afraid they might be accused of having a lot of money from stripping the national assets that they dare not make investment in their own country, preferring to pack up and send their loots abroad while continuing to suck up money from inside the country. This is why some diplomats have said that the Cambodian elite are never satiated.