The Mirror, Vol. 11, No. 528
“The opposition leader Sam Rainsy told a group of approximately 500 moto taxi drivers at his party headquarters about his support for the establishment of a Moto Taxi Drivers’ Association in Cambodia in order to create a powerful voice to resist as well as to protest against the government in order to protect the moto taxi drivers’ interest.
“Mr. Sam Rainsy said that the creation of the association will help improve the economic condition of many citizens who earn their living as moto taxi drivers in cities and in the other provinces where the number of moto taxi drivers is increasing.
“He said so at his headquarters on Tuesday 2 October 2007. This is his second such meeting, after chatting with and listening to the difficulties and concern [over their livelihood] of teachers, which had been held on 30 September 2007.
“However, he did not take the initiative for the establishment of a Moto Taxi Drivers’ Association, something which has never existed before. He just showed his support for the creation of an association of moto taxi drivers to unite their forces.
“Mr. Sam Rainsy said that the increase in the numbers of moto taxi drivers in Cambodia is because of poverty, which is increasingly widespread nationwide, and of corruption which is getting more serious, while poor citizens sell their cows, buffaloes, and rice fields in order to buy old motorcycles to serve customers. He added that one way to solve these problems is to eliminate corruption and to lower the gasoline price to Riel 3,000 [US$0.75] per liter.
“The opposition leader went on to say that the implementation of lowering the gasoline price will begin in July 2008 – i.e. after the fourth term parliamentary election, which he hopes he will win and take over the government. He criticized the fact that Riel 1,000 [US$0.25] is being taken out from the Riel 4,200 [approx. US$1] of the gasoline price per liter, but this deduction is not delivered to the national treasury. It flows into the pockets of crooked citizen and ruling party officials.
“He said that if the tax of Riel 1,000 out of Riel 4,200 per liter of the gasoline price would go to the state, the government would get much money to assist the poor, which is part of its duty, but the government becomes poorer and poorer. Corruption is swelling. Instead, the [Cambodian People’s] party plays the role the government should perform [delivering services to the people, instead the party distributes kromas and sarongs [Cambodian textiles], and monosodium glutamate [a popular food additive] to the people.
“Moreover, he also announced that if his party takes the power in 2008, he will not have kromas, sarongs, and monosodium glutamate to distribute, but he will take Riel 1,200 for the citizens. This amount will be taken from the price of gasoline, making it cheaper: from Riel 4,200 to Riel 3,000 per liter. That is what the Sam Rainsy Party will offers to the citizens; different from what the present ruling party is doing.
“The opposition leader continued, ‘As prime minister in the fourth term government in 2008, we will restructure on a larger scale than what I did in the first term; at that time, I did it on a small scale as I was only Minister of Economy and Finance.’
“However, he did not say or initiate anything to push moto taxi, tricycle, and cyclo drivers to demonstrate against the government, demanding a decrease of the gasoline price like in Burma, which resulted in chaos, due to the crackdown by the Burmese military government on the monks’ demonstrations, demanding a decrease of the gasoline price that the Burmese military government had increased in September. .
“Mr. Sam Rainsy, who listened to what the moto taxi drivers said at his party headquarters, added that he understood the sufferings that the moto taxi drivers meet in their everyday life. He said that when the gasoline price goes up, there are not so many customers (the customers do not have much money), police extort money, and there are robberies increasing perceptibly from day to day – and this directly harms the citizens.
“He said that in order to deal with the problems and concern of moto taxi drivers, his party and other citizens must combat the cruelty which results from the image of the current leaders like the image of Khmer Rouge leaders who tortured the citizens.” Deum Ampil, Vol.2, #38, 3-9.10.2007
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Wednesday, 3 October 2007
Deum Ampil, Vol.2, #38, 3-9.10.2007
- Sam Rainsy Supports Establishment of Moto Taxi Drivers’ Association
- Two Koreas Meet to Discuss Peace Declaration
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1460, 3.10.2007
- Delegation of International Labor Organization in Switzerland Comes to Check and Evaluate Work of Trade Unions in Cambodia
- Ministry of Labor Reminds Owners of Companies to Pay Workers Their Salaries Before Pchum Ben [national holidays]
Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.1, #37, 3.10.2007
- Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk Explained the Involvement [of the Khmer Rouge with China and Yuon [Vietnam]
- Mr. Sam Rainsy Tells Moto Taxi Drivers’ Association that a Government Led by the Sam Rainsy Party Will Decrease the Gasoline Price to Be Equal to the Price in Neighboring Countries
- Government Deceived by AZ Company with Another Trick over Plan to Create Maritime Radio [to control ships and boats – as the budget for the creation of maritime radio is overstated by approximately $5 to $6 million, while actually the appropriate budget is less than $500,000, and the plan has not worked for many years after the contract was approved]
Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #6160, 3.10.2007
- Club of Cambodian Journalists Condemns Shooting Dead of Japanese Journalist in Burma
Meakear Thmey, Vol.6, #27, 2.10.2007
- Human Rights Party Prepares to Withdraw Itself from Competing [in the 2008 election due to financial problems]
Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3279, 3.10.2007
- Mr. Sam Rainsy Promises to Reduce Gasoline Price to Riel 3,000 [US$0.75] per Liter after Winning 2008 Election
- Sam Rainsy Party Condemns Poipet Resort Casino Company for Forcing Staff to Join Cambodian People Party [CPP]
- CPP Starts to Collect Money from Companies to Visit [voters at] Local Level
- Demand [by Amnesty International] for UN Security Council to Ban Weapons Supplies to Burmese Military Government
- Big Businessman Sok Kong Pumps Sand to Fill His Land [to be higher], Flooding More Than 200 Families’ Houses [Meanchey, Phnom Penh]
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4405, 3.10.2007
- South Korea Ranked First for Investment and Tourism in Cambodia
- After the Arrest of Two Congolese Men, Officials Ask Banks to Be More Cautious [about theft of money from machines allowing electronic withdrawal of money – Phnom Penh]
Sralanh Khmer, Vol.3, #520, 3.10.2007
- Burmese Authorities Arrest and Detain More Than 6,000 People and Successfully Suppress Large Demonstrations
- Many Former Officials of Sam Rainsy Party Appointed as Advisors to Keo Puth Rasmey [Funcinpec President] and to Nhek Bun Chhay [Funcinpec Secretary-General]
