Is this the only way for Cambodia to develop?

Building Cambodia's Roads

February 5, 2010
International Herald Tribune

Regarding the article “Cambodia’s routes to riches” (Jan. 19): While rural roads connecting major population centers are important for development, Cambodians rely mostly on bicycles, small motorbikes and their feet for transportation. This majority of travelers is usually the first sacrificed for cars and trucks. New roads tend to cut through smaller villages and lead to the deaths of pedestrians and cyclists, who are rarely considered by the road-building authorities.

Striking a balance between development, auto-mobility for the minority of Cambodians with cars, and the livelihoods of the majority, ought to be more important than opening tourist centers. Is this the only way for Cambodia to develop?

Lee Schipper, Berkeley, California

Beg, beg, beg: That's all Hun Sen can do

Cambodia asks China, India, Japan to help improve rural projects

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday that he had asked China, India and Japan to help with the rural infrastructure development of the country.

Hun Sen said that he had asked China to provide a grant aid of 55 million U.S. dollars to build a 128 km road linking O'pong Man area of Stung Treng province to provincial town of Ratanakiri province.

"We discussed it with the Chinese side in a meeting in Singapore," Hun Sen said at a graduation ceremony for about 580 students at the National Institute of Education in Phnom Penh.

"In the near future, I will go to India and sign with the Indian side to get 35.5 million dollars in aid to build an electricity network from Kratie province to the Lao border, and the finance will also spend for restoring irrigation system of the Stung Ta Sal river and buying water pumps," he said.

In addition, Hun Sen said he had also asked Japan to build and monitor the roads 76A and 78A which lead to the heritage triangle area bordering Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.