Groups Highlight Rights Concerns

 Mu Sochua prepares for an interview at RFA, June 8, 2012. Credit: RFA

Rights groups plan protests ahead of the Cambodian foreign minister’s visit to Washington.

2012-06-11

RFA

“I requested her [Clinton] to suspend military aid to Cambodia”

Rights groups have highlighted deteriorating human rights, government intimidation of the opposition, and land grabs in Cambodia on the eve of a visit by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong to Washington for talks with his counterpart U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The one-day visit will take place on Tuesday, during which Hor Namhong is expected to discuss with Clinton and other senior U.S. officials issues related to security in Asia, regional use of the Mekong River, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which Cambodia is chairing this year.

He will also request the U.S. to cancel Cambodia’s debt of around U.S. $440 million, including interest, which it incurred through agricultural aid during the Lon Nol era of the 1970s. Prime Minister Hun Sen has called the loan Cambodia’s “dirty debt.”

In a petition addressed to Clinton, Cambodian Americans for Human Rights and Democracy and Khmer People’s Network for Cambodia wrote that human rights conditions in Cambodia have gone “from bad to worse” over the last two decades.

“Initially, the victims of human rights violations had mostly been people who Prime Minister Hun Sen, his wife, and his associates considered potential opponents, competitors, detractors, environmentalists, unionists, and human rights defenders,” the statement read.

“Now, they have widened their focus to include land owners, members of their families, and those who sympathize with their causes.”

Desperate Boeung Kak Protesters Turn to the Spirit World

Around 200 evictees from two Phnom Penh developments gathered in front of the National Assembly, demanding that 15 of their representatives be released from jail, file photo. Photo: VOA Khmer

Thursday, 07 June 2012
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

“Mu Sochua has said in the past the US should stop military aid to Cambodia until it improves its rights record, especially in the use of force against civilians by state security.”

With no result from a series of demonstrations urging the release of 15 women from the Boeung Kak community in Phnom Penh, distraught protesters turned to the spirit world on Wednesday.

They prayed to the spirits of Yay Mao and Ta Prak, who they believe have the power to bring about the release 15 women seized in a series of protests in May.

Thirteen of the women were hastily convicted on charges related to their building a house at the Boeung Kak site in protest of a forced eviction there earlier this year. Two more who were arrested at a subsequent demonstration have yet to be released.

Thursday’s spirit prayers, attended by some 50 community members of Boeung Kak, were an indicator the protesters have run out of options as they seek to remain living at a site slated for a massive commercial and residential development.

Sam Rainsy Party MPs Seek US Intervention for Release of 15 Human Rights Defenders of Boeung Kak Lake

04 June 2012
By Mu Sochua

Sam Rainsy Party MPs Seek US Intervention for Release of 15 Human Rights Defenders of Boeung Kak Lake

MP, Mu Sochua will meet with State Department officials and members of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Committee of the US Congress on 6June, 2012 to raise concern for the deteriorating human rights conditions inside Cambodia particularly regarding recent human rights abuses against women and girls.

FEBRURARY 19, 2012 – Bavet Town governor, Chhouk Bandith, opened fire on 6000 protestors at a garment worker demonstration in his town in Northern Cambodia. Three young women were shot and injured. Witnesses claim that Bandith was assisted in his escape from the scene by police vehicles. The governor later confessed to his crime, but was never arrested. On May 14, 2012, Bandith was charged with “unintentional injuries” and was demoted to a lower position.

MAY 16, 2012 – 1000 military police and a military helicopter violently stormed a village in the northern province of Kratie during a forced eviction. Forces opened fire on residents and killed an innocent 14-year-old girl. Villagers were brutally attacked by the military forces, and a group of women were handcuffed, stripped naked, and made to stand for hours under the sun.

MAY 22, 2012 – During a peaceful demonstration in Phnom Penh’s Boeung Kak Lake community, thirteen women human rights defenders were violently arrested and detained at the municipal police headquarters for two nights. On May 24, 2012, the women were taken to an illegal summary trial without their defense lawyers. The lawyer’s requests to delay for preparation, for case files and evidence, and to bring witnesses to the stand were also denied. In less than 3 hours all thirteen women were convicted and sentenced to 2 and a half years in prison. Since then, one woman received a 1 and a half year suspended sentence, and another five have received 6 months suspended sentences out of the initial 2.5 years.

As a result of violence against women, including armed and military force by private companies against citizens, women's human rights are continually violated in a nation that claims to be democratic and free.

Sam Rainsy Party MPs, are seeking for:

1. Ensure the immediate release of all thirteen women imprisoned and two witnesses for defending their land rights;
2. Temporarily suspension of US military aid to Cambodia;
3. Call for an end to the harassment of human rights defenders in Cambodia and ensure that peaceful protests can take place without fear of arrest, intimidation or violence.
4. Bring an end to forced and violent evictions of Cambodian citizens from their homes and land.

ជំនួយអាមេរិក យកមកធ្វើជំនួញ ដេញបោះបាញ់ អ្នកស្រុក ស្លូតត្រង់! ជយោ?!?!

មួក​​ទ័ព​ខ្មែរ ដែល​មាន​រំលេច​ទង់​ជាតិ​អា​មេរិក​។ រូបថត ហេង ជីវ័ន

Uncle Sam wants you to evict innocent villagers???

ទ័ពខ្មែរ​ទៅ​បណ្តេញ​អ្នក​ភូមិ​នៅ​ក្រចេះ​ខ្លះ​ពាក់​មួក មាន​រូប​ទង់ជាតិ​អាមេរិក

Wednesday, 23 May 2012 12:06
Joseph Freeman
The Phnom Penh Post

ក្រចេះ : ក្រោយ​ពី​មាន​ប្រតិបត្តិការ​យោធា​មួយ ​កាល​ពី​សប្ដាហ៍​មុន​ ដែល​មាន​ការ​បាញ់​សម្លាប់​ក្មេង​ស្រី​អាយុ​ ១៤ ​ឆ្នាំ​ម្នាក់ នៅ​ឃុំ​កំពង់​ដំរី ស្រុក​ឆ្លូង ក្រុម​អ្នក​សង្កេត​ការណ៍​នានា បាន​កត់​សម្គាល់​ពី​ឯក​សណ្ឋាន​ចម្លែក របស់​ទាហាន​មួយ​ចំនួន។

អ្វី​ដែល​ចម្លែក​នោះ មួក​ការពារ​របស់​ពួក​គេ ​មាន​រូប​សញ្ញា​ទង់​ជាតិ​អាមេរិក​ពណ៌​ឆើត លេច​ឡើង​ នៅ​ចន្លោះ​ក្បូរ​ក្បាច់​ពណ៌​បៃតង​និង​ពណ៌​ប្រផេះ​ មាន​លក្ខណៈ​ដូច​ឯក​សណ្ឋាន​ទាហាន​ប៉ារ៉ា។

អ្នក​នាំ​ពាក្យ​ស្ថានទូត​អាមេរិក បាន​បញ្ជាក់​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ម្សិលមិញ​ថា ឯក​សណ្ឋាន ​ដែល​ទាហាន​ខ្លះ​បាន​ពាក់​ក្នុង​ការ​ចុះ​ទៅ​បណ្តេញ​អ្នក​ភូមិ​នោះ គឺជា​ផលិតផល​មក​ពី​អាមេរិក។ ប៉ុន្តែ​មួក​ការពារ​ដែល​គេ​បាន​រចនា​ម៉ូដ​នោះ មិន​មែន​ផ្លូវ​ការ​ទេ។

លោក Sean McIntosh មន្ត្រី​ទទួល​បន្ទុក​កិច្ចការ​សាធារណៈ ស្ថានទូត​អាមេរិក ថ្លែង​ថា៖​ «​នោះ​មិន​មែន​ជា​ពួក​យើង​ទេ​។ នៅ​ពេល​យោធា​អាមេរិក ផ្ដល់​ឯកសណ្ឋាន​ទាំង​នេះ​ មិន​មាន​សញ្ញា​អាមេរិក​ណា​មួយ​ នៅ​លើ​ឯក​សណ្ឋាន​ទាំង​នោះ​ទេ»។ ​បើ​តាម​លោក McIntosh ឯក​សណ្ឋាន ​ដែល​ត្រូវ​បាន​គេ​ទិញ តាម​រយៈ​ការ​ផ្ដល់​ប្រាក់​របស់​អាមេរិក​ ហើយ​ដឹក​ជញ្ជូន​មក​កាន់​កម្ពុជា​ទាំង​នេះ​ ត្រូវ​បាន​សមាជិក​កង​ទ័ព​ជើង​ទឹក​ និង​ជើង​គោក​ យក​ទៅ​ពាក់​។ ការ​ដោះ​ដូរនូវ​ស្លាក​សញ្ញា​ឯកសណ្ឋាន និង​ក្រុម​ឆត្រ​យោង​ ក៏​បាន​កើត​ឡើង​រវាង​ទាហាន​កម្ពុជា​និង​អាមេរិក​ដែរ​។

U.S., Cambodian Military Drill Ends Successfully [-More of Hun Xen's bodyguards trained by the US?]

US Army gear used by Hun Xen's violent cops?

2012-03-24
Xinhua

The 12-day joint U. S., Cambodian military exercise Angkor Sentinel 2012 ended successfully on Friday.

The closing ceremony was held at the Training School for Multi-national Peacekeeping Forces in Kampong Speu province, about 48 kilometers west of Phnom Penh, under the presidency of the four- star general Chay Sang Yun, a secretary of state for the Cambodian Defense Ministry, and Jeff Daigle, Charge d'Affairs of the U.S. Embassy to Cambodia.

"The drill was a very good opportunity for Cambodian and U.S. military personnel to create closer friendship relations and to build better military ties between the two countries," said Chay Sang Yun, adding that about 450 Cambodian armed forces joined the drill.

He said that the exercise was also good to exchange experience between the two armies.

Daigle said the U.S. would still continue helping Cambodia in military sector through providing military materials such as clothes and vehicles, but not weapons.

Cambodia: Military, Inc.

US Military command in Cambodia

16 Aug 2010
By Jody Ray Bennett for ISN Security Watch
International Relations and Security (ISN, Zurich, Switzerland)

The US has provided at least $4.5 million worth of military equipment and training to Cambodia since 2006

In a controversial decision by Cambodia’s Prime Minister, multinational corporations and other local enterprises will now be able to hire the country’s royal armed forces, Jody Ray Bennett writes for ISN Security Watch.

Just a little over two years ago, The Guardian ran aquiet article claiming that the Kingdom of Cambodia was a “country for sale.” The article outlined specific events of Cambodian history that lead to the overwhelming privatization of the kingdom - the Khmer Rouge regime sending more than 300,000 locals into exile and two million from its cities directly into the paddy fields and farmland in the 1970s, and once overthrown, to the 1985 “frenzied land-grabbing” after the rise to power by Hun Sen, Cambodia’s current prime minister.

The article noted that once Sen came to power, “influential political allies and wealthy business associates raced to claim land that the Khmer Rouge had seized, gobbling up such large chunks of the cities, forests and paddy fields that Cambodians used to say the rich were eating the country.” Throughout the 1990s, nurses became restaurateurs and school teachers were transformed into rural farmers.

By July 2007: “The forests, lakes, beaches and reefs - and the lives of the thousands of residents - were quietly transferred into the hands of private western developers. Arguing that Cambodia could become a tourist magnet to challenge Thailand, [Hun Sen] began a fire sale of mainland beaches. By March [2008], virtually all Cambodia's accessible and sandy coast was in private hands, either Cambodian or foreign.”

According to a report from Global Witness, over the last 15 years, 45 percent of the country’s land has been purchased by private interests.

And now those private interests are requesting security in a country that has much of its forces dedicated to an ongoing border standoff with Thailand. Earlier this month, Time reported that the solution to this problem, as innovated by Prime Minister Sen, came in the form of a program in which local businesses and multinational corporations in Cambodia could “provide donations” and “sponsor” specific parts of the Cambodian Armed Forces in return for the continued guarding of “large-scale private land concessions across the country” or to “evict the rural poor for business developments” and other locations where corporations operate.

According to Dr Emmanuel Yujuico - research fellow in Southeast Asia International Affairs at the London School of Economics and Political Science - “[This] is, unfortunately, a somewhat common occurrence.”

He told ISN Security Watch: “Given that military service is not the most remunerative occupation, branches of the military operating throughout Cambodia have sought alternative sources of livelihood. One of these has been protecting commercial interests. What the new initiative does in a way is formally recognize these arrangements. While a number of sponsorships can be innocuous such as those not involving possession of agricultural land, telecommunications and the like - those which do have raised concerns among activists.”

Corporate involvement

Critics of the policy believe it will solidify political, military and business powerbrokers in the country and ensure allegiance to the ruling party.

“Only major corporations having close ties with the ruling Cambodian People's Party of Prime Minister Hun Sen [are sponsoring the armed forces]. Most of these companies are Cambodian-owned, but there are a few foreign companies which have joint ventures with Cambodian companies such as Lao Meng Khin who is the partner in Shukaku, a Japanese company which is developing the Boeng Kak [area] which also involves large-scale evictions of slum-dwellers there,” a journalist and publisher of the Khmerization blog told ISN Security Watch. (For security reasons, the journalist requested anonymity).

“Metfone, a Vietnamese phone company and Mobitel Telephone company, a joint venture between Kith Meng's Royal Group and Sweden's Millicom and ANZ Royal Bank, are also involved.”

“Security is now in the hands of private business. Because private businesses [have the financial ability] to control the army, they therefore hold national security at ransom. [It is unclear how] it might affect international relations, but it will be a detriment to national security as private sectors in Cambodia are not concerned about the interests of the nation, but about their interests only,” the journalist said.

While the government denies that the partnership between its armed forces and domestic corporations will be problematic, human rights organizations in Cambodia believe this kind of corporate sponsorship will undermine security equality by turning it into a lucrative competition for government favors.

US military support

While Cambodia’s ruling elite claim the sponsorship exists merely to “compensate for the military's lack of funding for troops' basic needs,” curiously absent is the acknowledgment of increasing US support of the Cambodian military. The US has provided at least $4.5 million worth of military equipment and training to Cambodia since 2006.

In early July 2010, Human Rights Watch condemned the announced partnership of US and Cambodian forces for the 2010 Global Peace Initiative. “The US selection of a Cambodian military unit with a record of human rights abuses to be the host of [the] annual peacekeeping exercise in Asia undermines the US commitment to promoting human rights in Cambodia,” the report said.

To train Cambodian forces for a mere two weeks, the US Department of Defense built a $1.8 million training center for Cambodia's ACO Tank Command Headquarters in Kompong Speu province.

According to Human Rights Watch, “In November 2008, the [ACO] unit seized the farmland of 133 families in Banteay Meanchey province, ostensibly to build a military base [and] in 2007, soldiers from the unit in Kompong Speu province used armored vehicles to flatten villagers' fences, destroy their crops, and confiscate their land.”
--------------
Jody Ray Bennett is a freelance writer and academic researcher. His areas of analysis include the private military and security industry, the materialization of non-state forces and the transformation of modern warfare.

US stresses "the importance of freedom" ... while cozying up to the oppressor of Cambodia's freedom: Go figure, Uncle Obama!

US envoy defends military relations with Cambodia

Sunday, July 18, 2010
AFP

PHNOM PENH — A senior US diplomat on Sunday defended relations with allegedly abusive Cambodian military units as he concluded a two-day visit to the capital Phnom Penh.

William Burns, US Under-Secretary of State for political affairs, said military aid from the United States to Cambodia was intended to boost a civil-military relationship that was essential to a "healthy political system".

"Any military relationship that we conduct around the world is consistent with US law. So we look very carefully and vet very carefully the participants from Cambodia, from other countries," Burns told a press conference.

He spoke as Cambodia conducted its first ever large-scale international peacekeeping exercise, co-sponsored by the US Army, on the grounds of a military unit accused of being involved in illegal landgrabs.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said last week it was "outrageous" that Cambodia's ACO Tank Unit was hosting 700 military personnel from 23 countries in the "Angkor Sentinel" exercise.

The rights group said the US State Department and human rights organisations have documented soldiers of the unit using armoured vehicles to seize land from Cambodian villagers and farmers.

Burns made his trip while a Cambodian opposition politician faced an arrest warrant after controversial defamation proceedings.

Mu Sochua of the Sam Rainsy Party faces jail for refusing to pay 4,000 dollars in fines and compensation on a conviction last year for defaming premier Hun Sen when she announced plans to sue him for allegedly insulting her.

Burns, who met with Hun Sen and other government and opposition officials during his visit, said he spoke "about the importance of freedom of expression".

"It's very important to very carefully to weigh importance of issues like defamation suits... often times the kind of criticism that goes on is best in the political arena rather than the judicial system," he said.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said last week that defamation proceedings against Sochua illustrated the "alarming erosion" of Cambodia's free speech and judicial independence.

US State Department Defends Military Aid to Cambodian Army

Uh... Uncle Sam also wantsneeds your dictator?!?

Robert Carmichael, Voice of America
Phnom Penh 18 July 2010

A senior U.S. State Department official visiting Cambodia defended U.S. support for Cambodia's military on Sunday. His comments follow strident criticism by a leading opposition parliamentarian over U.S. support for Cambodia's military.

The Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, William J. Burns, was in Cambodia this weekend to return seven looted antiquities recovered by U.S. officials.

Burns's visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of U.S.-Cambodian diplomatic ties.

It also comes during a two-week military exercise in Cambodia involving more than 1,000 troops from 23 Asia-Pacific nations and the United States. It is part of the Global Peace Operations Initiative, a U.S.-run effort to improve peacekeeping skills among other nations.

But some Cambodian military units, including the tank unit hosting the provincial exercise, stand accused of human rights abuses.

Earlier this month Human Rights Watch said it was "outrageous" that the United States was supplying millions of dollars of equipment to army units, and undermined U.S. protests against forced evictions and land-grabbing.

Some local politicians are also displeased. Opposition M.P. Mu Sochua condemned American support for the Cambodian military.

"This is a huge insult to the people of Cambodia," said Mu Sochua. "This is not about helping democracy in Cambodia - this is about serving the US interests in the region."

At a news conference on Sunday, Burns stressed that all of America's military relationships were consistent with U.S. law, and said his government carefully vetted all participants.

But Mu Sochua said Washington was evading its responsibility. She said the U.S. Department of Defense had lied when it told Congress that none of Cambodia's military units were guilty of human rights violations.

"I am extremely disappointed by President Obama for allowing this to happen in Cambodia," she added.

Mu Sochua said donors, who earlier this year pledged more than $1 billion to Phnom Penh, must tie aid to human rights and democracy.

She said failing to do so meant the international community was failing in its obligations to Cambodia.

Mu Sochua's comments came Thursday as she awaited possible arrest for refusing to pay a fine levied in a defamation case filed by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The court fined her $4,000 after ruling that she had defamed Hun Sen by announcing her plan to sue him for defamation over comments he had made.

Her case was thrown out of court, but Hun Sen went on to win his.

She said the case was highly political, and was further evidence that democracy was being undermined by the ruling party.

William Burns alluded to her case when he said the political arena was a better venue for resolving such disputes than the courts. Freedom of expression, said Burns, was "an essential value for any healthy political society".

Halt US Aid to Abusive Military Units

A member of the Cambodian military salutes from a tank during a parade to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Brigade 70, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh on October 13, 2009. (Reuters)

Land-Grabbing Tank Unit to Host Upcoming Regional Peacekeeping Exercises

July 8, 2010
Human Rights Watch

(New York) - The US selection of a Cambodian military unit with a record of human rights abuses to be the host of an annual peacekeeping exercise in Asia undermines the US commitment to promoting human rights in Cambodia, Human Rights Watch said today.

The "Angkor Sentinel" exercise is part of the 2010 Global Peace Operations Initiative, an effort jointly run by the US Departments of Defense and State to help train peacekeepers. Co-hosted by the US Pacific Command, Angkor Sentinel will be the largest multinational military exercise held this year in the Asia-Pacific region, with more than 1,000 military personnel from 23 Asia-Pacific countries taking part.

The peacekeeping exercises will begin on July 12, 2010, with a five-day "command post" exercise in Phnom Penh. A two-week field training exercise will follow, with Cambodia's ACO Tank Command Headquarters in Kompong Speu province as the host. The US Defense Department funded construction there of a US$1.8 million training center for the 2010 initiative.

"For the Pentagon and State Department to permit abusive Cambodian military units to host a high-profile regional peacekeeping exercise is outrageous," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The US undermines its protests against the Cambodian government for rampant rights abuses like forced evictions when it showers international attention and funds on military units involved in grabbing land and other human rights violations."

For years, the ACO Tank Unit has been involved in illegal land seizures, as documented by the US State Department and by Cambodian and international human rights organizations. In November 2008, the unit seized the farmland of 133 families in Banteay Meanchey province, ostensibly to build a military base. In 2007, soldiers from the unit in Kompong Speu province used armored vehicles to flatten villagers' fences, destroy their crops, and confiscate their land.

Since 2006, the US has provided more than $4.5 million worth of military equipment and training to Cambodia. Some of that aid has gone to units and individuals within the Cambodian military with records of serious human rights violations, including Brigade 31, Brigade 70, and Airborne Brigade 911.

The Phnom Penh portion of Angkor Sentinel is likely to showcase elite Cambodian military units based near the capital, such as Prime Minister Hun Sen's personal bodyguard unit and Brigade 70, both of which have been linked to a deadly March 1997 grenade attack on the political opposition, and Airborne Brigade 911, which has been involved in arbitrary detentions, political violence, torture, and summary executions.US material assistance has also gone toward rights-abusing units such as Brigade 31, formerly known as Division 44, which in 2008 used US-donated trucks to forcibly move villagers evicted from their land in Kampot province. In recent years Brigade 31 has been implicated in illegal logging, land grabbing, and intimidation of opposition party activists during the 2008 national elections. The unit was also involved in summary executions of captured soldiers loyal to the FUNCINPEC party during a 1997 coup staged by Hun Sun.
Cambodian military personnel are not held accountable for serious rights violations. Instead, Hun Sen has promoted military officers implicated in torture, extrajudicial killings, and political violence, such as Hing Bunheang, the deputy commander of Brigade 70 at the time of the 1997 grenade attack, who was made deputy commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces in January 2009.

In December 2009, Cambodia deported 20 ethnic Uighur asylum seekers at grave risk back to China on the eve of a visit by senior Chinese officials to Phnom Penh. The US cancelled delivery of 200 surplus military trucks and trailers to Cambodia under the US Excess Defense Articles program. This was only the most minimal response to a serious breach of Cambodia's obligations as a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, Human Rights Watch said.

In February, Hun Sen announced plans for corporate sponsorship of military units as a way to support defense costs. More than 40 Cambodian businesses have agreed to subsidize military units, including some companies that have long been allowed to misuse military units as the equivalent of security contractors to protect and support their business ventures in agri-business, banking, casinos, and national media.

"By essentially auctioning off military units, Hun Sen revealed that many military units are little more than guns for hire, not the defenders of the Cambodian people," Robertson said. "The US should not be training corrupt and abusive military units for global peacekeeping."

The US government should suspend military aid to Cambodia pending an improved and thorough human rights vetting process that screens out abusive individuals or units from receiving any aid or training, Human Rights Watch said. Certain military units, as well as individual personnel from them, should be immediately banned from Defense Department assistance, including Hun Sen's bodyguard unit, Brigade 70, Brigade 31, and Airborne Brigade 911, and any of their sub-units.

"US support for peacekeeping training cannot mean turning a blind eye to soldiers and units who have violated human rights," Robertson said. "Instead, military units that are called to deploy abroad as international peacekeepers must be true professionals, not only in technical expertise, but in their respect for human rights."

US and Cambodia mark 60 years of bilateral ties

May 14, 2010
ABC Radio Australia

The United States and Cambodia are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic ties this year. But it hasn't been six decades of smooth sailing. In the 1960's and 70's America's secret bombing of Cambodia was disastrously destabilising for the Kingdom. Then came the brutal years of the Khmer Rouge and diplomatic relations with the US weren't re-established until 1991. The last few years, however, have seen a deepening of ties between the two nations, with military aid resuming, humanitarian aid flowing, and oil and mineral investments looming.

Presenter: Liam Cochrane
Speakers: Ted Allegra, Charge d'Affaires US Embassy in Phnom Penh

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

ALLEGRA: Sixty years in any relationship is a long time and it's no different for the US-Cambodia relations and on the occasion of the 60th anniversary this year, I mean it's an appropriate time we believe to not only look back and to see where we began and how it developed through good and through difficult parts and just as importantly, to look to the future and see where the relationship can proceed.

COCHRANE: Let's look forward then. What are the key areas of interest from the American side in this bilateral relationship?

ALLEGRA: We've got a growing military-to-military relationship. Some of the things we are looking at the 60th anniversary commemoration to highlight are Cambodia's hosting the global peacekeeping initiative exercises this July which will attract over a thousand troops from 23 different nations and specifically, as Cambodia was a recipient of UN peacekeeping efforts for so many years, it is quite astonishing and quite complimentary that they actually can be a provider of peacekeeping troops around the world.

We also have the US hospital ship, Mercy, coming next month for a humanitarian mission and doctors, dentists and even veterinarians will be deployed throughout Cambodia to give basic health services and provide even emergency or serious health attention if needed. We've got in the economic dimension, we're looking to do robust commercial diplomacy, attracting the interest of America's investors and business people. All these writ large become the focus of some of our activity this summer, the focus for some of our events and really a defining moment to chart US-Cambodia relationship for the future.

COCHRANE: One of the things that has challenged that relationship recently has been the issue of the Quigurs that were deported from Cambodia to China. The US after that incident voiced its displeasure, condemned the actions of the Cambodian Government. How has that affected the diplomatic relationship?

ALLEGRA: Well, Washington issued a statement at the time of the event. We, of course, were disappointed in Cambodia's decision to do that. We engaged with the Cambodian Government before that happened and after it happened and perhaps we will continue to do so. The important thing to remember however though that as our relationship develops, it also matures, so one incident does not itself define our relationship that is as broad in scope and depth and breadth as I have just pointed out to you and that issue will not define the relationship in it of itself.

COCHRANE: The incident itself did highlight the other diplomatic players sometime after, in the case of the US, the response was consequences that were promised. It turned out to be the cancellation of an order of trucks in the military cooperation plan. Now, a short time afterwards, China donated trucks in a similar kind of manner. It's an interesting geo-political kind of play there. How would you describe China's role diplomatically in Cambodia?

ALLEGRA: First of all, that notion is one I think that is prompted more by journalists than diplomats.

COCHRANE: Which journalists?

ALLEGRA: The notion of a kind of diplomatic game on this one issue. But for our perspective it is not a game, it is not a competition. Our relationship with Cambodia is certainly based upon what we believe are to be mutual interest for both the United States and Cambodia. We are confident that our work and our diplomacy and our assistance reflects Cambodia's own desires and pronouncements for its futures and specifically relates to the prime minister's rectangular strategy for the future of Cambodia. We look to assist the government in its efforts to do just that and we think we have a broad range of things designed just for that purpose.

I told him that one country, or one district, needs to have its own laws (sic!): Tea Banh on the lack of uniformity in the Cambodian law?

US Defense Secretary Vows Enhanced Ties

By Taing Sarada and Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington and Phnom Penh
23 September 2009

“His concern is an issue that we are also taking care of and monitoring closely ... I told him that I accept some matters that he raised with me. I told him that one country, or one district, needs to have its own laws. As we watch closely, Cambodia has improved a lot, including in the respect of human rights” - Tea Banh inadvertently confessing that he had to address human rights issues with US govt officials?

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates stressed a commitment to enhancing Cambodian peacekeeping, maritime security and counter-terrorism, following talks in Washington with Cambodian Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh.

The two senior officials met on Monday in talks unprecedented since the 1970s, as military relations between the two countries have steadily improved.

“In the meeting we were talking about how what we have done so far has had very good success,” Tea Banh said in an interview in Washington after the meeting. “They will encourage us further to monitor closely what needs to be done in order to complete it.”

The US resumed military aid to Cambodia in 2006; it had revoked aid following the 1997 coup, when Prime Minister Hun Sen and the ruling Cambodian People’s Party seized power from its government partner, Funcinpec.

“Since 2006, Cambodia has received approximately $4.5 million worth of equipment and technical assistance through the Foreign Military Financing program,” the US Embassy in Phnom Penh said in a statement.

The program funds grants of excess military transport equipment and technical assistance to the Ministry of Defense; training materials and technical assistance to the RCAF English Language Training Program; and maritime security and professional development training to the navy, the embassy said.

Cooperation with the US increased when Cambodia became a willing partner to the US’s post-9/11 war on terror, culminating in the establishment of military attachés this year.

“The United States is interested in providing scholarships for military students to study in other countries,” Tea Banh said, but he added that US assistance remains smaller than that of China.

The general also met with Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, who he said expressed concern over human rights and democracy.

“His concern is an issue that we are also taking care of and monitoring closely,” Tea Banh said. “I told him that I accept some matters that he raised with me. I told him that one country, or one district, needs to have its own laws. As we watch closely, Cambodia has improved a lot, including in the respect of human rights.”

Cambodia’s rights record has come under pressure in recent months, following a string of lawsuits and at least one prison sentence against government dissenters, and earlier this month the US House of Representative’s Human Rights Commission called three public leaders from Cambodia to testify.

Deputy Prime Minister Tea Banh Meets with Secretary Gates and Deputy Secretary Steinberg

Released in Phnom Penh, September 23, 2009
Source: US Embassy in Phnom Penh

"Our goals are to develop the capabilities of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces in these areas, while encouraging Cambodia's commitment to the rule of law, transparency in governance, sustained democratic development, and respect for human rights."

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Tea Banh is in Washington D.C. on a four-day visit designed to strengthen cooperation and to reinforce the U.S. commitment to substantive, reform-linked security cooperation. On September 21, H.E. Tea Banh met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg.

Secretary Gates stressed the commitment of the United States to enhance Cambodia’s capabilities in peacekeeping, maritime security and counterterrorism. The Secretary cited establishment of a Cambodian Defense Attaché office in Washington and the newly minted sister state program with Idaho’s National Guard as positive developments in the bilateral relationship. Secretary Gates also offered the Minister an opportunity to engage in a Defense Policy Dialogue in the near future.

In a separate meeting, Deputy Secretary Steinberg and H.E. Tea Banh discussed security cooperation between the United States and Cambodia, highlighting Cambodia’s ongoing support for international peacekeeping operations and Cambodia’s commitment to host the 2010 Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) regional capstone exercise. GPOI is a U.S.-funded G-8 program to expand global capacity to train and equip 75,000 peacekeepers by the year 2010. They also discussed human rights and issues related to Cambodia’s role as a member of ASEAN.

Since 2004, the United States has sought to strengthen and expand its bilateral defense relationship with Cambodia. Our cooperation focuses on international peacekeeping, counterterrorism, counternarcotics, border and maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief operations, and defense sector reform. Our goals are to develop the capabilities of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces in these areas, while encouraging Cambodia's commitment to the rule of law, transparency in governance, sustained democratic development, and respect for human rights.

Since 2006, Cambodia has received approximately $4.5 million worth of equipment and technical assistance through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program. The FMF program also funds grants of excess military transport equipment and technical assistance to the Ministry of National Defense and the High Command; training materials and technical assistance to the RCAF English Language Training Program; and Maritime Security and professional development training to the Royal Cambodian Navy. Participants in all U.S. funded training programs are thoroughly vetted in accordance with U.S. law.

The United States works to achieve its goals through humanitarian assistance as well. Since 2005, the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps have helped to build and refurbish schools and medical clinics throughout the country. U.S. Military medics and dentists have also worked with their Royal Cambodian Armed Forces counterparts to provide critical, free health care to some of the most isolated and impoverished communities in Cambodia.

Human Rights Watch Testimony provided to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission

Left to Right: Hing Bun Heang, Sao Sokha and Mol Roeup (Photos: Global Witness)

Source: Human Rights Watch

I. Summary

Relations between the US and Cambodia have warmed considerably since the US withdrew direct aid to the Cambodian government in 1997, after a coup by the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Hun Sen against their coalition government partner, the FUNCINPEC party.

In addition to deeply entrenched impunity for human rights violators, other key human rights issues include the lack of integrity and independence within Cambodia's court system, attacks on freedom of expression and pluralism, and the government's chronic inaction on legal reform. Those who speak out to defend their homes, their jobs, and their rights increasingly face threats and physical attacks, including trade union leaders, opposition party members, journalists, activist Buddhist monks, and community activists defending their land and natural resources.

In addition, the gap has widened between wealthy city dwellers and impoverished farmers in the countryside, exacerbated by large-scale forced evictions of tens of thousands of urban poor, illegal confiscation of farmers' land, and pillaging of the natural resources on which people in the countryside depend for their livelihood. Military units are often wrongfully deployed to carry out forced and violent evictions of villagers whose ownership claims to the land have never been properly or fairly dealt with by a court.

To make matters worse, the Cambodian government announced this week that it is terminating the World Bank's $24 million land titling program after the Bank and key donors, including the United States, called on the government to stop forced evictions until fair and transparent land dispute and resettlement policies are in place.

While Cambodia has experienced significant economic growth during the past 16 years, the government has rejected a rights-based approach to development. Economic growth would have been much greater if the rule of law would have been established and voracious corruption by Prime Minister Hun Sen and those around him had not drained so many resources from the country.

In October 2008 the US announced that it would be making its first financial contribution (US$1.8 million) to the hybrid trial of former Khmer Rouge leaders (the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia), which has been plagued by credible reports of corruption and government interference and manipulation. Ongoing statements by Prime Minister Hun Sen calling for the court not to engage in additional prosecutions seriously undermine the court's integrity, independence, and credibility. In helping Cambodia to address legacy issues lingering from the Indochinese wars, the US should be at the forefront of advocacy with the UN, other donors, and the Cambodian government itself in insisting that Cambodians deserve the highest standards of justice for the crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge.

With the resumption of direct government aid, the US has begun to send mixed signals as to how seriously it takes Cambodia's legacy of impunity, political violence, and high-level involvement of government officials in human trafficking and other rights violations. US funding currently includes training and material assistance to members and units of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces that have been implicated in gross human rights abuses. It has strong counter-terror cooperation with some of the same individuals. The FBI has even given awards to some of the most notorious human rights abusers in the country, making many Cambodians wonder which side the US is on.

As one of the signatories to the 1991 Paris Peace Accords, one of Cambodia's biggest donors, and with great influence in Cambodia, the US should play a consistent role in insisting that Cambodia address its poor human rights record. The US government has to remember that its first priority is to stand with the Cambodian people. Good relations with the Cambodian government are a secondary priority.

II. The US and the Cambodian Security Forces - Impunity and Vetting

The US has provided training, material assistance and even awards to military, police, counter-terror units or related individuals with track records of serious human rights abuses. Since 2006, the US has provided approximately US $4.5 million worth of military equipment and training to Cambodia through the Foreign Military Financing program.

Training has been offered to elite units that are notorious for the impunity enjoyed by their members, as well as to personnel from Prime Minister's Hun Sen's bodyguard unit, which has been implicated in countless rights abuses including a political massacre, under the cover of a newly-created special anti-terrorist unit. The US has given the impression that it has forgotten or lost interest in the human rights record of some of these units or individuals.

While the US may have policy reasons to work with the Cambodian security forces on subjects such as counter-terror, it should work just as hard on holding abusers accountable and ending the culture of impunity that exists for high ranking members of the security services and those close to Hun Sen.

a) Prime Minister's Bodyguard Unit/Brigade 70 and New Counter-Terrorism Special Forces

Hun Sen's Bodyguard Unit, also known as Brigade 70, has a long history of impunity for its personnel who commit crimes, and well-documented involvement in smuggling and environmental crimes. Soldiers from Hun Sen's Bodyguard Unit, Brigade 70, were implicated in the March 30, 1997 grenade attack against the opposition Khmer Nation Party (now the Sam Rainsy Party), protecting the grenade throwers and allowing them to escape. At least 16 people were killed and more than 100 others (including an American) were wounded. The results of an FBI investigation into the attack found that the Bodyguard Unit was complicit in it, but the full results of the investigation have never been made public.

Outside of the normal RCAF chain-of-command, Brigade 70 is controlled directly by the Prime Minister. Reportedly comprising some 2,000 or more soldiers, the Bodyguard Unit was long commanded by General Hing Bun Heang, who is now deputy chief of the Prime Minister's Cabinet and reportedly remains in de facto control. The Bodyguard Unit has been implicated in political violence, most notably in a 1997 grenade attack on an opposition party rally. The Bodyguard Unit, mobilized outside of the normal chain-of-command of RCAF, also played a key role in fighting FUNCINPEC troops on the streets of Phnom Penh during CPP's July 1997 coup. In subsequent years, UN and NGO rights workers investigated several cases of individuals being unlawfully detained and tortured at the Bodyguard Unit's headquarters inside the Prime Minister's heavily-fortified residential compound. On or off duty, Brigade 70 personnel enjoy virtually unlimited impunity to commit.

Brigade 70 has an atrocious human rights record. Impunity enjoyed by its members is highlighted in the US State Department's annual human rights reports. In addition to the grenade attack, there are countless examples over recent years. A few examples include:

• In July 2008, Brigade 70 soldier Dy Sothearith, moonlighting as a security guard at a factory, shot an unarmed factory worker over a minor dispute. The victim was paid $1,000 in compensation, on the condition he not pursue a criminal complaint. Dy Sothearith, who reportedly went into hiding at B-70's HQ, was not prosecuted.
• In April 2006, Brigade 70 members Major Phat Sophal and Captain Sim Ry opened fire and shot a waitress whom they complained had brought them ice too slowly. Arrested by military police, the two were released hours later when their commander Mao Sophann intervened. The general subsequently said he punished the two officers by shaving their heads. No legal action was taken against them.
• In July 2005, Brigade 70 member Sen Kok Heang, a former in-law to Prime Minister Hun Sen, attempted to kill two forestry activists in Kampong Thom's Sandan district. Brigade 70 soldiers were mobilized in that area to give protection to a Cambodian logging syndicate in the area.
• In addition, B-70 has long been implicated in smuggling and the pillaging of Cambodia's environment; there is considerable evidence that cargo trucks belonging to the unit have systematically been used to transport illegally-felled logs and smuggled goods. In 2007, environmental watchdog Global Witness estimated B-70 was making between $2 million and $2.7 million from these operations, with a large cut of the proceeds given to Bodyguard Unit commander Hing Bun Heang.

b) Special Airborne Brigade 911

Brigade 911 has been implicated in gross human rights violations (including murder and torture) allegedly committed by brigade soldiers in the past. Paratroopers from 911, under the command of Major-General Chap Pheakdey, have been accused of gross human rights violations. In 1997, 911 personnel were implicated by UN investigators in the executions of FUNCINPEC military commanders captured during the CPP's coup, and the torture of other prisoners. No-one was brought to justice for these crimes. 911 members, disguised in civilian clothes, were also allegedly used to break up peaceful post-election demonstrations by the opposition in 1998. Subsequently, 911's commander Chap Pheakdey has maintained his reputation for acting with impunity. In 2006, he unlawfully detained one of his soldiers for more than a month, allegedly over a property dispute; no prosecution or other sanctions were taken against the general.

c) Brigade 31

Some material assistance has gone to military units with abysmal rights records. The commander of Brigade 31, for example, has confirmed that his unit used US-donated trucks to move villagers forcibly evicted by soldiers under his command in Kampot Province in 2008.

Brigade 31 (formerly known as Division 44 and then Battalion 44), under its long-time commander Brigadier-General Srun Saroeun, has an abysmal rights record. Its soldiers are alleged to have executed FUNCINPEC soldiers during the 1997 coup and fired gunshots over the heads of UN human rights officials investigating the killings. Headquartered in Kampong Speu province, the brigade has also long been accused of involvement in illegal logging throughout southern Cambodia. In recent years, its commanders have also been implicated in grabbing land from poor villagers. This raises serious questions about the quality of vetting done by the State and Defense Departments.

Brigade 31 assumed a "maritime security" mandate in late 2006 or early 2007 - the same time as an October 2006 joint defence assessment by RCAF and the US Pacific Command which identified maritime security as one of the areas for US support. This raises the question of whether RCAF deliberately gave the brigade a naval mandate in order to obtain US assistance. If so, this is a clear case of a military unit with a poor human rights record (but a record of loyalty to the ruling party) being rewarded and legitimized by US aid. Although US military aid is intended to improve the professionalism of RCAF forces, there are disturbing signs that RCAF is becoming more politicized and less professional, and that known human rights abusers are gaining increasing power within the RCAF structure. For example, General Huy Piseth, now an Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Defense, is former commander of Brigade 70. In January 2009 the government announced the appointment of seven new deputy RCAF commanders-in-chief, including military intelligence chief Mol Roeup; military police chief Sao Sokha; and Hing Bunheang, Brigade 70 deputy commander at the time of the 1997 grenade attack. All of these men have clear records as human rights abusers.

Political Cartoon: US AID

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

US Donates Trucks to Military [-Hopefully they won't end up transporting illegal logs]

A Cambodian soldier tests the engine of a M35A2 GMC cargo truck during the handing over at Cambodia Army Military Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Monday, June 2, 2008. The United States on Monday delivered 31 used trucks to Cambodia, its first direct supply of military hardware there since Washington lifted an embargo three years ago. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Cambodia's soldiers stand in front of M35A2 GMC cargo trucks during the handing over at Cambodia Army Military Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Monday, June 2, 2008. The United States on Monday delivered 31 used trucks to Cambodia, its first direct supply of military hardware there since Washington lifted an embargo three years ago. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

By Chiep Mony, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
02 June 2008

The US government donated 31 trucks to Cambodia's armed forces Monday, in what officials called a sign of increasing cooperation.

The military relationship between US and Cambodia was on an improving track, said Piper Campbell, the US Embassy's charge d'affaires.

The donation of 31 GMC cargo trucks, part of a larger allocation, was part of the overall improvement between the two countries over the last two to three years, she said.

The trucks were not new, she said, but American trucks are built to last, and the GMCs still had a lot of value in them.

Gen. Meoung Samphan, secretary of state for the Ministry of Defense, said this was the first time the US had given such a gift of trucks to Cambodia, and he appealed to other countries to make such contributions.

"If we can get donations, our national budget for the military will spend less," he said.

US gives trucks to Cambodia after renewing military ties

PHNOM PENH (AFP) — The United States on Monday gave 31 used trucks to Cambodia in its first direct supply of military hardware in more than a decade, saying ties between the two countries were improving.

The GMC cargo trucks were the first delivery in a group of 60 the US military has agreed to give to the Southeast Asian nation. They were handed over at a brief ceremony at the kingdom's air base.

After years in the diplomatic wilderness, Cambodia's star is on the rise with the United States.

In particular, military ties to the country, largely snapped after Prime Minister Hun Sen ousted his then-political counterpart in a 1997 coup, were re-established two years ago with the promise of limited military aid.

Since then, at least three senior US military commanders have visited Cambodia, and in February last year the USS Gary became the first US warship to visit the former communist country in more than 30 years.

"The military-to-military relationship between the US and Cambodia is definitely on an improving track," said US embassy charge d'affaires Piper Campbell.

Cambodia has in recent years become a stronger focus for both Washington and Beijing.

China, a former patron of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, continues to eclipse the impoverished country's other donors with hundreds of millions of dollars in largely unconditional aid and a number of naval patrol boats.

"There is enough room for the US to work with Cambodia and China to work with Cambodia," Campbell said.

General Meoung Samphan, secretary of state at the defence ministry, welcomed the US trucks, saying it would help to reduce Cambodian spending on military equipment.

US donates military trucks to Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — The United States will deliver 31 used trucks to Cambodia, its first direct supply of military hardware there since Washington lifted an embargo three years ago.

The U.S. Embassy said Friday that the 31 GMC cargo trucks — part of a group of 60 the U.S. military has agreed to give to Cambodia — will be handed over at a ceremony Monday.

The U.S. halted military assistance to Cambodia following a 1997 coup in which Hun Sen grabbed full power after ousting his co-premier, Prince Norodom Ranariddh. Hun Sen remains prime minister.

In August 2005, President Bush waived the ban, citing Phnom Penh's agreement to exempt Americans in Cambodia from prosecution by the Netherlands-based International Criminal Court.

Since direct military ties between the two countries were restored in 2006, the U.S. has pledged nearly $3.2 million in military aid to Cambodia, the embassy said in a statement.

It said the 31 trucks are "the first deliverables" under a U.S. program for "assisting Cambodia in its efforts to improve" its border security, mobility and peacekeeping operations.

It added that the U.S. military is spending $413,000 on processing, packaging and shipping all 60 vehicles — "excess defense articles no longer needed by the U.S. armed forces."

US Military Aid Tops $1 Million, Official Says

US soldier providing training to Cambodian soldiers for UN peacekeeping mission

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington
19 February 2008

The US Department of Defense has spent more than $1 million on military aid Cambodia over the last two years, a defense official said Friday.

Of that money, about 90 percent was budgeted to foreign military financing, with the remaining money spent on an international military education training program, said Maj. Stewart Upton, a Defense Department spokesman.

Four Cambodian students are training in English language for the Defense Language Institute, and a Cambodian cadet is attending the US military academy West Point, he said.

The US resumed aid to Cambodia last year, following a cessation in the wake of the July 1997 coup.

Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh said US assistance was not much yet, but that officials on each side were considering other areas for bilateral aid.

Bush proposes $750,000 in military aid for Cambodia

Philippines would have US military aid cut in half under Bush administration budget proposal

2008-02-05

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Philippines would have its military financing cut by half under a proposal the Bush administration sent to Congress on Monday.

President George W. Bush requested $15 million (euro 10 million) in military aid be sent to the Philippines next year. He requested less than that last year, but the U.S. Congress boosted military aid to almost $30 million (euro 20 million).

Indonesia, another country the White House deems crucial to fighting extremists in Asia, would receive about the same as this year's estimate, nearly $16 million (euro 11 million), under Bush's budget proposal.

Bush also proposed $500,000 (euro 337,000) in military financing for Vietnam, a fast-growing country the United States is trying to establish closer ties with after decades of hostility. The United States is expected to spend nothing on military aid to the communist-led country this year, according to details released by the State Department.

Monday's request by the Bush administration is the start of a long budget process. The Senate and the House of Representatives must make their own recommendations on aid; negotiators from each side would then negotiate a compromise bill before sending it to the president to sign into law.

As Bush, a Republican, enters his last year in office, he faces strong opposition from the Democratic party, which controls Congress. That means there is no guarantee that the budget will be financed at the levels he has requested.

The Philippines, which was under U.S. control for the first half of the 20th century, and Indonesia have previously had parts of their U.S. military aid linked to improving their human rights records.

U.S. officials have expressed worry over a wave of killings of left-wing activists blamed on Philippine government forces. Army officials say the military has no policy of targeting civilians.

The United States eliminated military ties with Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, in 1999 to protest alleged rights abuses by Indonesian troops in breakaway East Timor. The United States lifted the ban in 2005.

A congressional aide said it is too early to tell what exactly the money meant for military financing would be used for.

Bush also is proposing $750,000 (euro 506,000) in military aid for Cambodia. The United States estimates it will spend about $200,000 (euro 135,000) on Cambodia this year.