19/06/2007
By Thomas Bell, South East Asia Correspondent
The Telegraph (UK)
The British Government pays £13 million a year to support a "mafiosi" regime in Cambodia accused of plundering the country, a meeting of donors will be told today.
Relatives of the prime minister, Hun Sen, have been involved in illegal logging, kidnapping and attempted murder, claims the British organisation Global Witness.
This year, the Department for International Development plans to spend £13 million in the country of 14 million people where 35 per cent live on less than 25p a day.
But many Cambodians say the foreign aid has made little difference to their lives. Large-scale deforestation robs local people of the resources they have relied on for years.
Simon Taylor, the director of Global Witness, said: "Whenever they protest they tend to get murdered or shunted off."
His report said: "Illegal logging in Cambodia not only fills the pockets of the political elite; it also funds the activities of a 6,000-strong private army controlled by Hun Sen."
The report said the prime minister's bodyguard unit, known as Brigade 70, "runs a nationwide timber trafficking and smuggling service, catering to prominent tycoons."
Hun Neng, the prime minister's brother, said yesterday: "If they [Global Witness] come to Cambodia, I will hit them until their heads are broken." The Cambodian embassy in London said the report was "unacceptable rubbish".
Relatives of the prime minister, Hun Sen, have been involved in illegal logging, kidnapping and attempted murder, claims the British organisation Global Witness.
This year, the Department for International Development plans to spend £13 million in the country of 14 million people where 35 per cent live on less than 25p a day.
But many Cambodians say the foreign aid has made little difference to their lives. Large-scale deforestation robs local people of the resources they have relied on for years.
Simon Taylor, the director of Global Witness, said: "Whenever they protest they tend to get murdered or shunted off."
His report said: "Illegal logging in Cambodia not only fills the pockets of the political elite; it also funds the activities of a 6,000-strong private army controlled by Hun Sen."
The report said the prime minister's bodyguard unit, known as Brigade 70, "runs a nationwide timber trafficking and smuggling service, catering to prominent tycoons."
Hun Neng, the prime minister's brother, said yesterday: "If they [Global Witness] come to Cambodia, I will hit them until their heads are broken." The Cambodian embassy in London said the report was "unacceptable rubbish".
2 comments:
Thank you Global Witness help us protect the nature and demand the justice to us khmer people who love nature.
As I am khmer, I never feel warm on my own government. I feel scared inside my own country.
In Cambodia we never feel free to visit somewhere. I have lived there almost 25 years but I never have had a chance get into the forest, to see the wild life, big tree and enjoy with nature. I just hear my grand father told me about the ferest, jungle on his young age and that is only the beautiful nature I can see in dream, illusion from his describing.
Hmmm why I feel so warm in outside rather than in my own country? When do the high officers declare that they are lack of knowledge, they are cruel to own nature and own people and get off the position, let ability people to lead the country?
UNITY brings COURAGE
JUSTICE brings FREEDOM
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