Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Undiplomatic Hyena

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Trade union told to go to the moon by [Cambodian] Embassy official

A trade union leader claims he was told to go to the moon by a Cambodian Embassy official after he asked about human rights abuses.

Ambassador Withdraws Global Witness Debate Challenge

Im Sothearith, VOA Khmer
Washington, D.C Monday, 24 May 2010

“If we look at the website of the Ministry of Economics and Finance, in the natural resource revenues section, there is no revenue from the sand trade, while sand is being traded to Singapore. Therefore, if there is such a trade, the ministry should include the revenue from sand trade in Koh Kong in its Web page.”

Cambodian officials in London have baulked at their challenge to openly debate environmental watchdog Global Witness, which recently warned of damaging coastal sand dredging.

Cambodian Ambassador to the UK Hor Nambora issued an open challenge for a debate in April, saying, it was “time Global Witness was stopped in its tracks and forced to explain and justify its campaign of smear and hatred against the Cambodian government and the Cambodian people.”

UK-based Global Witness, which is an internationally recognized environmental monitoring group, accepted the offer last week.

However, in a May 21 letter to Global Witness Director Simon Taylor, Hor Nambora now says he will not enter a debate, claiming the group has a “hidden agenda” to discredit the Cambodian government.

Global Witness has continually rankled leaders in Phnom Penh with heavily researched reports on timber, oil and mining, and the senior officials and businessmen who run the industries. Its reports are banned in Cambodia, which the group says is being hurt by a kleptocratic elite close to Prime Minister Hun Sen.

In a May report, Global Witness criticized the alleged sale of dredged sand from Cambodia’s coastal zones for sale to Singapore, despite a ban by Hun Sen. That report sparked the latest round of challenges from the Cambodian government. The Cambodian Embassy in London called that report “cheap and rubbish.”

In his letter, the ambassador said Global Witness suffers from “epilepsy and other mental disabilities.”

Mam Sambath, chairman of the group Cambodians for Resource Revenue Transparency, who was on his way to attend oil giant Chevron’s annual meeting in Texas, said he supported public debate on Cambodia’s natural resources.

“If we look at the website of the Ministry of Economics and Finance, in the natural resource revenues section, there is no revenue from the sand trade, while sand is being traded to Singapore,” he said. “Therefore, if there is such a trade, the ministry should include the revenue from sand trade in Koh Kong in its Web page.”

Baby Hor's school of undiplomatic diplomacy

Cambodian Embassy withdraws offer of public debate

Press Release – 24/05/2010

Global Witness is disappointed, but not entirely surprised, to hear that the Cambodian Embassy has withdrawn its offer for a public debate with us. We had responded to their proposal in good faith and saw this as an opportunity for sensible and necessary discussion about issues of public interest. However, it seems they are continuing their policy of opacity in natural resource management, which they appear to be unable to defend or to justify in public. We therefore hope that Cambodia's international donors will be bringing up issues of accountability, transparency and corruption at the forthcoming government-donor meeting in early June.

Click on the letter to zoom in

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Words of Diplomat Hor 5 Bora

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Baby Hor: All talk, but when it comes to action ... NONE, ZILCH, ZERO, NADA, NIET!!!

Baby Hor

VOA Khmer

Following Global Witness' acceptance to Hor Nambora's (aka Baby Hor) challenge to a public debate, Voice of America reported that Baby Hor backed down from his bluff and refused to debate Global Witness in public. Instead, the offspring of Hor 5 Hong chose to insult and curse Global Witness, calling Global Witness as "Chhkuot Chrouk" (crazy like a pig) and "having mental problem". The second insult is a term very popular among officials in the Hun Xen's regime to place blame on anybody who oppose them.

It seems that the "family of the thieves of Cambodia" do not have much to say to defend themselves, except for cursing and throwing tantrums.

Click here to listen to VOA's Im Thearith's report in Khmer (MP3)

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Hye-Hor 5 Bora

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Baby Hor 5 Bora

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Australia stands by Cambodian defence cooperation

March 11, 2010
ABC Radio Australia

Australia will continue its defence cooperation program with Cambodia, despite a controversial new policy which formally links business to Cambodian military units.

London-based advocacy group Global Witness has released a statement calling on countries who provide aid to Cambodia to condemn the policy, saying it could foster an arrangement whereby businesses will receive military protection in exchange for financial backing.

Presenter: Liam Cochrane
Speakers: Hor Nambora, Cambodia's Ambassador to the UK and Scandinavia; Eleanor Nichol, a campaigner with Global Witness; spokesman for Australia's Department of Defence

Click here to listen to the audio program (Windows Media)

Baby Hor: ...special provisions have been made to provide land to assist particularly vulnerable groups ... and the poor

Forced eviction in Dey Krahorm: An example of what Mr. Hor 5 Bora calls: "...special provisions have been made to provide land to assist particularly vulnerable groups within Cambodian society including disabled soldiers, the families of deceased soldiers - and the poor". Coincidentally, Mr. Hor conveniently failed to mention the title of the BBC's article: "Cambodia: A land up for sale?", could it be that Cambodia is no longer a land for sale ... because, everything that can be sold had been carted off already

Response to The BBC World Service August 13, 2009

Click here to read the BBC's article
Cambodia: A land up for sale?

Mr Andrew Whitehead
Acting Editor, News & Current Affairs
BBC World Service
Bush House
Strand
London WC2B 4PH

Dear Mr Whitehead,

I was concerned to receive the transcript of Robert Walker’s report from Cambodia produced for the “Assignment” programme broadcast on the BBC World Service.

I found his report to be somewhat unbalanced and at variance with the BBC’s worldwide reputation for independence and impartiality. Certainly it will have done little to enhance the reputation of your organisation, particularly in Asia.

I, of course, acknowledge that Mr Walker quotes Phay Siphan, a spokesman for the Royal Cambodian Government’s Council of Ministers. But his comments are restricted to a couple of sentences and appear to have been inserted, rather calculatingly, to give the impression of a balanced report; when the reality is, it is extremely one-sided.

I was also disturbed that the BBC should give further publicity and credence to the pressure group Global Witness which seems intent on waging relentless and increasinglymalicious campaigns to try and discredit legitimatelyelected governments, particularly in southeast Asia and Africa.

On the specific issue of land management within Cambodia, the Royal Government of Cambodia has always been happy to acknowledge its reliance on foreign investors; believing this to be the most rapid and effective way of generating sustained economic growth which will allow Cambodia to become a significant power within the region, from which all its people will benefit.

However, that does not mean that the Cambodian Government has turned a blind eye to the tactics used by some foreign companies. All applications to buy land are carefully scrutinised by an independent body, the Cambodian Investment Board, which is committed to ensuring the rights of all Cambodian people.

The land policy of Cambodia commits the government to “administer, manage and distribute land in an equitable, transparent, efficient and sustainable way” with the aim of achieving the national goals of alleviating poverty, ensuring food security and natural resources; the protection of the environment, national defence and the development of a market economy.

You should be aware that special provisions have been made to provide land to assist particularly vulnerable groups within Cambodian society including disabled soldiers, the families of deceased soldiers - and the poor.

In closing, I wish it to be known that I am happy to be interviewed on radio (or television) at any time to support and defend the policies and track record of the Royal Cambodian Government and to counteract inaccurate and damaging allegations made by organisations such as Global Witness.

With kind regards

Hor Nambora
Ambassador of Cambodia to the Court of St James’s
London, United Kingdom

Baby Hor sent to attack Global Witness again ... to earn his keep

"Baby Hor" Nambora

Cambodia critical of watchdog group

Monday, July 20, 2009
ABC Radio Australia

The Cambodian ambassador to the United Kingdom has called for international donors to withdraw their funding of anti-corruption watchdog group Global Witness.

The Ambassador Hor Nambora says the group needs to adopt a more responsible attitude.

In a statement issued in London, the ambassador says Global Witness is presenting false information as facts.

His comments follow Global Witness calling on the British government to revoke a visa issued to Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The rights group reports mounting international criticism over increasing levels of institutionalised corruption, repression and human rights abuse in Cambodia.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Diplomacy Management Course

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Baby Hor is again sent to the rescue of Papa Hor's boss on corruption ... Baby Hor tries to silence the messenger rather than solving the problem

US ambassador Carol Rodley denouncing corruption in Cambodia at the Clean Hand concert

Denouncing corruption: A US tradition

05 June 2009
By A.C.
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French

The speech given by the US ambassador during the “Clean Hand” concert held on 30 May regarding corruption [in Cambodia] continues to create controversies.

Blunder or not? It’s hard to tell for now. Inside the premises of the Olympic Stadium, during a concert organized by several civil society associations, the US ambassador explained that corruption in the Kingdom represents a loss of revenue “of about $500 million per year, the equivalent of building 20,000 schools each having 6 classrooms.”

Through a press communiqué, Hor 5 Bora, the Cambodian ambassador to the UK and son of Hor 5 Hong, Cambodia’s minister of Foreign Affairs, is also getting involved in the affair, although not without diplomatic irony.

He reminded Carol Rodley that “this is [her] first posting as Ambassador, [and that diplomats] seek to maintain neutrality at all costs and refrain from commenting on the internal affairs of the nation to which [they] have been appointed [as] envoy.”

Hor 5 Bora event went beyond simply lecturing a newcomer who would have committed an error because of lack of experience, he also wonders about a possible alliance between the US ambassador and the Global Witness NGO which regularly accuses the government that Hor 5 Bora serves on this corruption issue. On 6 May, Hor 5 Bora attacked Global Witness following the latter’s publication of the “Country for Sale” report which details the Cambodian government’s use of revenue from sale of natural resources. Finally, Hor 5 Bora discussed about “misinformation” and he asked Carol Rodley to “clarify her position.” Up to now, no other embassy in Cambodia dare make any comment on this affair.

However, maybe this is an American tradition. In 2005, the word “corruption” marked the first speech given by Joseph Mussomeli as the new US ambassador to Cambodia. “Rich and developed countries could almost afford corruption. They already have the infrastructure, but not Cambodia. Cambodia cannot afford the luxury of corruption,” Mussomeli then declared. The only difference with Mussomeli was that he did not provide any amount attached to the corruption in Cambodia.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Baby Hor

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)