Original report from Phnom Penh
26 May 2009
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday announced the need to create a national plan for combating sea piracy within the next three months, urging a working group to quickly come up with a draft.
Cambodia, which has begun exploration for offshore oil, shares maritime borders with traditional military rivals Thailand and Vietnam.
The Chinese military recently donated 20 ships to the navy, which is currently incapable of dealing with the threat of piracy, officials said. In 2005, China provided six patrol boats to Cambodia and has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in grants and loans in recent years.
Fishermen often complain the country’s sea borders are breeched by commercial vessels from the neighboring countries.
Hun Sen said in a speech Tuesday Cambodia had small maritime boundaries that were not plagued by piracy in the way the coast of Somalia is, but he said such problems should be prevented in advance.
A “sea security” team would have three months to submit a plan for a “national mechanism” for maritime security to the Council of Ministers for approval, Hun Sen said.
He urged the US and Australia to provide modern equipment to the navy to prevent acts of piracy.
Opposition lawmaker Son Chhay said he welcomed improved maritime security, but he said the ruling government should concentrate on public and national security as well.
Cambodia, which has begun exploration for offshore oil, shares maritime borders with traditional military rivals Thailand and Vietnam.
The Chinese military recently donated 20 ships to the navy, which is currently incapable of dealing with the threat of piracy, officials said. In 2005, China provided six patrol boats to Cambodia and has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in grants and loans in recent years.
Fishermen often complain the country’s sea borders are breeched by commercial vessels from the neighboring countries.
Hun Sen said in a speech Tuesday Cambodia had small maritime boundaries that were not plagued by piracy in the way the coast of Somalia is, but he said such problems should be prevented in advance.
A “sea security” team would have three months to submit a plan for a “national mechanism” for maritime security to the Council of Ministers for approval, Hun Sen said.
He urged the US and Australia to provide modern equipment to the navy to prevent acts of piracy.
Opposition lawmaker Son Chhay said he welcomed improved maritime security, but he said the ruling government should concentrate on public and national security as well.
2 comments:
I support the idea of improving Cambodia's maritime security. We need more ships to combate sea piracy and illegal Vietnamese fishermen/encroachment. We also need to chase the Vietnamese from Khmer Islands.
On the other hand, to combat terrorism, there is a need to get rid of Hun Sen first because he and his government have been terrorizing our many Khmer people for many years. Then we can solve the rest of the problems.
I hope it makes sense.
Well, dont expected the ships will be last long, must set up a project included trainning and employing many mechanicans and engineers for permanent maintainance and other professional fields, not just the combat forces.
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