Press Conference by Deputy Secretary Negroponte in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

John D. Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
September 16, 2008

QUESTION: When you talk about the 1.8 million in funding to the KRT, will it be contributed directly to the UN side or the Cambodian side – this is the first question. Secondly during you talk with the Prime Minister Hun Sen, did he ask for UN intervention on the issue of the border problem with Thailand.

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: On the first question subject to correction by the Chargé d’affaires I believe that the contribution will be made to the UN side – the 1.8 million and I would stress again that this is an initial contribution and I think the important point about the contribution is that it represents a threshold contribution by the United States to provide material support to the tribunal.

Your second question I believe related to the dispute with Thailand over the temple, and what I would like to say here is that we think that this is a dispute a difference that should be resolved peacefully between Thailand and Cambodia and that it should be preferably resolved bilaterally between the two countries. We think that is the most effective way of dealing with this problem, and we think that it is important that the use of force or coercion be avoided at all costs because that would risk undermining some of the great progress that has been achieved in this region in terms of peaceful economic development.

QUESTION: Good morning Deputy Secretary – my name is Douglas from the Cambodia Daily and I’ll try and be brief. I have two questions regarding the Khmer Rouge tribunal. One was that as you well know there has been a congressional ban on funding the tribunal pending a finding by the State Department that the Cambodian judiciary is free and fair and that the court meets international standards. If you could tell us about that review – whether or not it has been completed.

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Let me first say that my understanding is that that ban no long exists – it expired about two years ago. That would be the fist point – the second is that I think I’ll ask the Embassy to put out a fact sheet about the tribunal so that some of the details that I may not have complete mastery of can be made clear but I think what my point that I would make is that we believe that the conditions are both appropriate and opportune to make this contribution and we have been talking to our congress and those who are interested in the tribunal and I think there is generally a consensus that this is a good time to move forward in support of the tribunal.

QUESTION: Just quickly my second question concerned the fact that the funding for the court would soon expire this would appear to be one moment where donors have the greatest leverage to request changes in the court. Could you tell us how the US feels about the possible investigation of corruption claims in the court and any changes that need to be made?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Well as I mentioned in my prepared statement we think it is important that the court be managed properly and we will certainly spare no effort on our part to ensure that not only our resources but the resources of the international community as a whole are put to good use and this is certainly one of the themes that we will be emphasizing with those concerned. There have been some issues about the management of the court but they have not risen to the level where we felt that it justified withholding any contribution to the court. We think it is a good time to go ahead, we’ll have as a result of that a voice along with the other donors and certainly when we see issues and problems we’re going to be sure that they are called to the attention of the right people.

QUESTION: Ker Munthit from AP – can you elaborate a little bit whether there will be conditions or a mechanism that the US will attach to the contribution to make sure that the money…

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: I think I said - at the risk of being repetitive I really believe that I’ve said all that I can say. If you want further background from the Charge d’affaires or the Embassy I would refer you to them after the press conference.

Question: Good morning to you sir – I am Madra from Reuters – sir you said Washington is going to fund 1.8 million for this year – will the US look to further contribute to the tribunal in the future?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Yes – I think that is our hope, it definitely is in our planning and we have included a proposal in the budget for future years that calls for continued contributions to be made to the court. That of course will require, any budget in any system requires the approval of the legislature but that is certainly the position of the executive branch so we’ll make this initial contribution but in future fiscal years we hope to be able to continue to make a contribution and hopefully even increase the size.

QUESTION: Hello sir – another quick question. Why the US want to give funds to the KRT now, why not before.

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Well I mean I think one of the reasons that was mentioned is there had been reservations in the past on the part of our Congress but I think the point to make here is first of all we have decided to go forward, and secondly I think that like many other people we think it is important that this tribunal be able to carry out its work and succeed. There have been a number of people arrested now who are awaiting trial. There is a trial that is about to take place perhaps as early as November. I had the opportunity to meet a Canadian prosecutor. So this seems to be a distinctly opportune moment to make an announcement about our contribution but I think the main thing is that we want to help this tribunal succeed, and we think it definitely has the chance to succeed.

QUESTION: Just today you met the opposition leader and what did you talk about with them and what about the compromise between the opposition leaders and Hun Sen’s government

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Well I think it would probably not be very prudent of me to comment in any detail about questions that have to do with the relationship between the government and the opposition I did have a opportunity to meet with a couple of opposition leaders, those who had members elected to the national assembly and in the election that took place in July I also had a chance to meet with members of civic society both here and when I was up in Siem Riep. I think the point that I would make is that in July Cambodia had it’s fourth national election since 1993. You’ve had elections for a national assembly in 93, 98, 2003 and now in 2008 and this for a county that emerged from such difficult circumstances this is a very positive track record a very positive development and each of these elections have been progressively less violent and have been carried out under better and better conditions so we welcome that and we think that that bodes well it augers well for the future of Cambodian democracy.

QUESTION: Did you advise them to go to the swearing in ceremony in the palace?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Look – I didn’t offer any particular advice frankly. I listened more than I gave advice. I haven’t been to Cambodia in many many years and for me this was an opportunity to listen and learn about what is happening here and certainly it is not for me to give advice, specific tactical advice to the political actors here. We certainly favor democracy, we favor human rights, we support elections and we want them to be fair and free but I think that our concerns and the kind of advice we give is at a more general level than what is being suggested by your question.

QUESTION: Good morning, my name is (inaudible) – I would like to ask you could you please tell us about FBI progress in the investigation of the journalist’s killing in July, Mr. Kim Sambo from Monesekar Khmer?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Right – I’m aware of the fact that the FBI is cooperating with the Cambodian authorities in investigating this killing, and I think that is a positive thing I think it is a welcome development and we want to be as helpful as we can but I happen not to know what progress is being made and normally as you can appreciate even if I was aware of some of the details we would probably not reveal them at this stage because investigative matters are usually kept confidential until they are ready until the investigators or the investigative authority is prepared to make its findings public, so even if I did know any of the details it would not be appropriate for me to reveal them publicly. I think perhaps I’ll take one more question.

QUESTION: I’m from the Phnom Penh Post – for military relations between the US and Cambodian government – what further developments can we expect, and can we expect the US to provide lethal material to Cambodia.

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: I think that the focus of our effort is in such areas as peacekeeping, support for peacekeeping efforts and we welcome Cambodia’s role in that, especially as I said in my statement they have been the beneficiaries of peacekeepers in the past, and they have peacekeepers in the Sudan. Demining efforts, perhaps some officer training in exchanges, so it’s that kind of focus that we have at this particular time. Another would be ship visits, visits by some of our naval vessels, we’ve had several in the past year and we can imagine, we can visualize those continuing and perhaps increasing but those would be the kind of areas in which we contemplate a military cooperation between the two countries. I want to thank you for this opportunity – ok – one last question.

QUESTION: Just would like to know will the White House invite Prime Minister Hun Sen. Is there any plan for that to happen?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Well I’m not aware of any such plan and at the moment as you know we’re in the final stages of our own electoral campaign between now and the 4th of November and we will have a new administration in January so I would think that any possible meetings at that level and in Washington would probably have to wait till the next administration although I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that our leaders might meet one way or another during the course of some of the international meetings that are taking place between now and the end of this year.

Thanks you very much.

Released on September 16, 2008

Cambodia's Ruling Party Told Kem Sokha Incapable of Splitting Opposition Vote

24 Jul 07
by Chey Sachak
Moneakseka Khmer
Translated from Khmer and posted online

It surely is very funny to hear Nguon Nhel, first vice chairman of the National Assembly from the Cambodian People's Party [CPP], say that the CPP is not worried about Kem Sokha's party. Nguon Nhel further shamelessly stated, "In reality, the CPP may even get some benefit out of Kem Sokha's party, for apparently it is capable of splitting the vote of the opposition party."

However, Nguon Nhel gave Kem Sokha a warning knock on the head in his final remark: "But Kem Sokha is no genius." This means that the CPP's dark scheme to split the support of the opposition party is being laid bare through Nguon Nhel's boneless wagging tongue.

However, groups of analysts saw that Kem Sokha's current move toward politics not only cannot help split the vote of the opposition party but it more clearly exposes the CPP's ugly features. And this is not different from the efforts to split elder Son Sann's Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party that was taken over by Ieng Moly and to split the FUNCINPEC [National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia] Party in 1998 in the wake of the 5 and 6 July coup.

Nevertheless, as far as the opposition party led by Sam Rainsy is concerned, it has completely grasped the significance of all these perfidious tricks, for Sam Rainsy said, "We do not care about the birth of Kem Sokha's party as it cannot realistically compete with the opposition party."

Therefore, in remarking to the reporters about Kem Sokha's party's possibility to split the vote of the opposition party, Nguon Nhel, a senior CPP official, was seen as trying to wash his dirty linen in public because the CPP led by Chea Sim, Hun Sen, and Heng Samrin had been publicly criticized for colluding with the National Election Committee in stealing the ballots and persecuting the Sam Rainsy Party [SRP] and other political parties to help the CPP win the elections.

At the same time, the CPP also was very concerned when it saw the growing number of votes received by the opposition party. Consequently, it appeared that the formation of Kem Sokha's party last Sunday had the fingerprints of the ruling party all over it because there was an alarming presence of security forces from the Hun Sen government at the initiation ceremony.

At the same time, Nguon Nhel happened to mention the fact that the CPP might benefit from this newborn party of Kem Sokha, saying that it could help to split the vote of the opposition party. This made Cambodians all over the country understand even more clearly the CPP's poisonous scheme to use Kem Sokha as a cat's paw. The problem for the CPP is that it is using a despised person whom the Cambodian voters threw out of the political arena in 1998. This person has no value whatsoever in the hearts of the Cambodian citizens.

This problem has been explained like this: the use of Kem Sokha as bait to win over the supporters of the SRP is merely to prevent the opposition party from being the greatest force that would compete against the CPP in 2008. However, the dream of the CPP and Kem Sokha in hoping that they would be able to split the vote of the opposition party is heading toward a shameful setback because when the people realize that Kem Sokha is an instrument serving the ambition of the current rulers they would not give their ballots to him who is an opportunistic, bogus politician.

Therefore, the CPP's wish to use Kem Sokha's party to mock the people in an attempt to overthrow the SRP will be impossible. This is because the Cambodian people now know very well what true democracy is and what anarchic democracy is. They do not want to have anything to do with a jinxed, untouchable politician who would harm anything he handles like Kem Sokha.

Just as Sam Rainsy has already said, "The SRP is comparable to a tree that is 12 years old. This 12-year-old tree has grown to become a big tree already seasonally bearing fruits. For instance, it has 24 People's Representatives and 2,660 commune and precinct council members. This is our fruits or our true grass-roots forces throughout the country. In other words, because this tree has many fruits and a big shade, many people have flocked to take shelter under it."

Sam Rainsy underscored, "The SRP tree is 12 years old. If anyone wants to grow a tree this year and the election is already going to take place next year, then let us ask this: Will a 1-year-old tree bear any fruits? Will it has any shade for the people to take shelter under?"

Because of this reasoning, Sam Rainsy said he did not care about Kem Sokha's party that was formed last Sunday, for the SRP has already seen that Kem Sokha's party has no possibility to compete against it.

Most circles have assessed that if the CPP really wants to borrow Kem Sokha's hands to split the vote of the opposition party as Nguon Nhel claimed, the CPP will not gain anything from this venture. It will only suffer losses and will even get bankrupt because of Kem Sokha, since this person is known as a destructive politician whose hands of fire will consume anything they touch. Consequently, he can never be of any help to the CPP.

It is said that the CPP under the leadership of Chea Sim, Hun Sen, and Heng Samrin is very nervous to see the support for the SRP growing steadily, especially through the 1 April 2007 commune/precinct council elections. For this reason, it sends Kem Sokha, a short-sighted individual, into the political arena in a bid to split the vote of the SRP. But the CPP should never dream it will succeed!

WB-sponsored South Africa forum stresses the importance of the opposition party

Importance of Oppositon Discussed in South African Forum

Pochin Choeung
VOA Khmer
Washington
22/03/2007

Delegates of the World Parliamentarian Conference met in South Africa recently to discuss poverty, corruption and the importance of parliaments and opposition.

Tioulong Saumura, wife of opposition leader Sam Rainsy and a parliamentarian for the party, spent five days at the conference, which was sponsored by the World Bank.

"International communities, especially donor countries, have the impression based on experience of many years, that any country that has a strong and active parliamentary system is more developed than other countries," Tioulong Saumura told VOA.

She had met with World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, she said.

He was "very concerned about corruption in Cambodia," she said. "He told me that if we are a leader and we want to reduce poverty, we have to fight against corruption."