STATEMENT
to
The First Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum
to
The First Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum
CONSEQUENCES OF GOVERNMENT'S UNMET PROMISES ON POVERTY
REDUCTION STRATEGIES
REDUCTION STRATEGIES
Members of Parliaments of the Sam Rainsy Party take careful notice of the detailed report of progress on Joint Monitoring Indicators to be delivered at the first Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum to be held from 19-20 lune, 2007.
This most important gathering of high level stakeholders is a significant occasion to deliberate and to seek improved solutions for matters of major importance to the nation. Among these issues are: deforestation, draft law to combat corruption, public health, education and judiciary reforms. We reiterate our regrets over the government's unfulfilled promises to both the attendees of former Consultative Group (CG) meetings and the Cambodian people, as well as the unacceptable and slow pace of reforms during the past decade. The failure to meet its promises on time is an indicator of the government's noticeable lack of political commitment to necessary reforms for a successful implementation of the National Strategies on Poverty Reduction.
(1) Deforestation: The government of Cambodia needs to adequately address points raised in the report of Global Witness. The failure to provide a reliable report is not a solution to the Cambodian people as existing facts indicate that significant areas of Cambodian's forests have been illegally destroyed by powerful families and a number of high ranking officials who have accumulated questionable fortune which is incomparable to their monthly salaries or justifiable incomes.
An acceptable response of the government to the report issued by Global Witness would be a governmental report that can demonstrate that Cambodia's forests have been preserved and maintained. The government must have the courage to organize visits to the devastated areas mentioned in the report of Global Witness, for parliamentarians, the people, the members of the civil society, donors and the media in order to challenge accusations made by Global Witness.
(2) Land Issues and Evictions: The government must take immediate and efficient measures to stop all forms of land abuse and land grabbing committed by powerful individuals and companies and to render justice to the people who lack land and who have wrongly and forcefully been deprived of their land, their sole source of livelihood.
The government has the duty to efficiently manage and t o provide full guarantees for the protection of state public and private properties.
Transparent and legal bidding procedures must be applied when state private properties are exchanged or sold for any purpose.
The government must take immediate measures to stop evictions of communities without clear plans or acceptable compensations, as staled in the Land Law. The development of a community should be conducted with the full participation and approval of the people, and community evictions are to be avoided al all costs. In case of removal of people from their communities, plans for full infrastructure to include schools, hospital, electricity and water must be put in place and made known to the people affected.
Numerous innocent families have been victims of inhumane actions taken by authorities without any consideration for their right to live in dignity or their right for proper shelter and housing. Adult members of these families were further victimized by these illegal evictions as they lost the right to vote during the April 1, 2007 commune elections.
(3) Corruption: The government must show true will to curb corruption. For over a decade, the government has made the same promise to the donor community to produce a draft law on anti-corruption with international standards. Such a draft law has yet to reach the National Assembly.
An acceptable law on anti-corruption must contain the most fundamental elements:
It is most apparent that the current judicial system is a tool to be used by people with power and means.
(5) The National Election Committee (NEC): The NEC must be an independent, neutral
and impartial national institution that does not serve any political party.
We urge the donor community to put conditions on the NEC to produce a voter list that is acceptable to all concerned parties. Such a list must reflect the true number of eligible voters.
We urge the Ministry of Interior to issue national identification cards to all adult citizens which can be used on election-day. The MOI must install a system of monitoring to ensure that all ID, cards are distributed without pressure from local police to demand fees from citizens requiring an identification card.
It should be noted that the MOI has made promises to issue identification cards to all eligible citizens for over a decade. We are concerned by the level of corruption that exists in the issuance of identification cards and by the hidden political agenda of the government in the slow pace of such a promise.
(6) Law to Manage Oil Revenue: we are most concerned by the lack of legislation to manage oil revenue and calls on the government to make transparent all contracts signed for the extraction of oil in Cambodia-Conclusion
Conclusion
The Council for the Development of Cambodia has issued a detailed report of progress on Joint Monitoring Indicators (JMI), a set of measurable goals to be achieved in national development. We believe that the targets laid out in the JMIs are sound, reasonable, and forward-looking. We fully support the Actions Needed under each category.
However, the government has been unreasonably slow in acting on the various measures laid out in these plans. The lack of progress in adopting anti-corruption legislation has led to the belief that the government's official support of this objective was made in bad faith. Similarly, nontransparent land reforms and the creeping pace of judicial reforms lead us to believe that what is lacking is not a plan, but rather political will.
In advance of the 2008 elections, we encourage all citizens to consider the slow pace of national development, and to evaluate whether the current leadership has made legitimate use of its position of power to reduce poverty across the country.
Sam Rainsy Members of Parliament
Phnom Penh
17 June, 2007
This most important gathering of high level stakeholders is a significant occasion to deliberate and to seek improved solutions for matters of major importance to the nation. Among these issues are: deforestation, draft law to combat corruption, public health, education and judiciary reforms. We reiterate our regrets over the government's unfulfilled promises to both the attendees of former Consultative Group (CG) meetings and the Cambodian people, as well as the unacceptable and slow pace of reforms during the past decade. The failure to meet its promises on time is an indicator of the government's noticeable lack of political commitment to necessary reforms for a successful implementation of the National Strategies on Poverty Reduction.
Recommendations on the Occasion of the First Cambodian Development Cooperation Forum
(1) Deforestation: The government of Cambodia needs to adequately address points raised in the report of Global Witness. The failure to provide a reliable report is not a solution to the Cambodian people as existing facts indicate that significant areas of Cambodian's forests have been illegally destroyed by powerful families and a number of high ranking officials who have accumulated questionable fortune which is incomparable to their monthly salaries or justifiable incomes.
An acceptable response of the government to the report issued by Global Witness would be a governmental report that can demonstrate that Cambodia's forests have been preserved and maintained. The government must have the courage to organize visits to the devastated areas mentioned in the report of Global Witness, for parliamentarians, the people, the members of the civil society, donors and the media in order to challenge accusations made by Global Witness.
(2) Land Issues and Evictions: The government must take immediate and efficient measures to stop all forms of land abuse and land grabbing committed by powerful individuals and companies and to render justice to the people who lack land and who have wrongly and forcefully been deprived of their land, their sole source of livelihood.
The government has the duty to efficiently manage and t o provide full guarantees for the protection of state public and private properties.
Transparent and legal bidding procedures must be applied when state private properties are exchanged or sold for any purpose.
The government must take immediate measures to stop evictions of communities without clear plans or acceptable compensations, as staled in the Land Law. The development of a community should be conducted with the full participation and approval of the people, and community evictions are to be avoided al all costs. In case of removal of people from their communities, plans for full infrastructure to include schools, hospital, electricity and water must be put in place and made known to the people affected.
Numerous innocent families have been victims of inhumane actions taken by authorities without any consideration for their right to live in dignity or their right for proper shelter and housing. Adult members of these families were further victimized by these illegal evictions as they lost the right to vote during the April 1, 2007 commune elections.
(3) Corruption: The government must show true will to curb corruption. For over a decade, the government has made the same promise to the donor community to produce a draft law on anti-corruption with international standards. Such a draft law has yet to reach the National Assembly.
An acceptable law on anti-corruption must contain the most fundamental elements:
- A National Authority on Anti-Corruption with full power and independence and its own budget;
- An independent Advisory Board composed of independent members;
- A separate and independent General-Secretariat with full executive power;
- Declaration of assets by high ranking officials;
- Protection of key witnesses.
It is most apparent that the current judicial system is a tool to be used by people with power and means.
(5) The National Election Committee (NEC): The NEC must be an independent, neutral
and impartial national institution that does not serve any political party.
We urge the donor community to put conditions on the NEC to produce a voter list that is acceptable to all concerned parties. Such a list must reflect the true number of eligible voters.
We urge the Ministry of Interior to issue national identification cards to all adult citizens which can be used on election-day. The MOI must install a system of monitoring to ensure that all ID, cards are distributed without pressure from local police to demand fees from citizens requiring an identification card.
It should be noted that the MOI has made promises to issue identification cards to all eligible citizens for over a decade. We are concerned by the level of corruption that exists in the issuance of identification cards and by the hidden political agenda of the government in the slow pace of such a promise.
(6) Law to Manage Oil Revenue: we are most concerned by the lack of legislation to manage oil revenue and calls on the government to make transparent all contracts signed for the extraction of oil in Cambodia-Conclusion
Conclusion
The Council for the Development of Cambodia has issued a detailed report of progress on Joint Monitoring Indicators (JMI), a set of measurable goals to be achieved in national development. We believe that the targets laid out in the JMIs are sound, reasonable, and forward-looking. We fully support the Actions Needed under each category.
However, the government has been unreasonably slow in acting on the various measures laid out in these plans. The lack of progress in adopting anti-corruption legislation has led to the belief that the government's official support of this objective was made in bad faith. Similarly, nontransparent land reforms and the creeping pace of judicial reforms lead us to believe that what is lacking is not a plan, but rather political will.
In advance of the 2008 elections, we encourage all citizens to consider the slow pace of national development, and to evaluate whether the current leadership has made legitimate use of its position of power to reduce poverty across the country.
Sam Rainsy Members of Parliament
Phnom Penh
17 June, 2007
1 comment:
Hear hear! The participants of forum must display the moral leadership and political will to hold the Cambodian government to account.
The systemic exploitation and pillage of national assets by a few, with no lasting benefit to the nation must stop. Lest its too late; and Cambodia becomes for yet another generation; a basket case - the sick man of South East Asia.
Do not ignore the silenced cries of the voice less any longer -empower us and help us secure hope for a better future.
Post a Comment