Week 491

Mr. Yim Sovann: Government Should Reflect on Chinese Loans

“In the situation that the government of Cambodia is happy after communist China has agreed to provide a loan of approximately $100 million, Mr. Yim Sovann, the chairperson of Commission 4 of the National Assembly, the Commission on Interior, National Defense, Investigations, and Anti-Corruption warned that the government should be cautious about China’s loan money.

“Mr. Yim Sovann said, ‘The government should check properly, especially the loan money from China and the implementation of projects with the loan money.’

“The statement of Mr. Yim Sovann was made after the statement by Hor Namhong on Monday evening, after he had returned from the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, Philippines, saying that communist China had agreed to a US$100 million loan to Cambodia to repair the National Road 10 from Pailin to Battambang.

“In accordance with this, the Minister of Foreign Affairs [and International Cooperation] of the Hun Sen government also stated that the $100 million loan from China is the first loan in 2007, after China had provided loans of approximately $200 million in 2006.

“For this time, Mr. Yim Sovann stated, ‘We welcome the measures of the government towards real development, especially the development of rural infrastructure.

“However, Mr. Yim Sovann stated also, ‘We must have clarity and check properly and cautiously, especially about the money loaned from China, and about the implementation of the projects.’

“He also reminded the public, ‘Some project money from the World Bank, though it was regularly monitored, was corruptly taken by wicked officials. What about the loan money from China which is provided to the government to be managed by the government – will there be weak points, so that money can be misused corruptly? Thus, the government should be very cautious so that the loan money will not become a serious burden for the innocent citizens and their children who may have to repay the foreign debt instead of wicked officials [who misappropriated it].’

“It has to be noticed that the government of communist China opens its arms widely to provide all kinds of loans to the government of Cambodia whenever requested. This big communist country used to provide a great deal of military supplies and abilities also to the Khmer Rouge movement to create this very bad regime of the killing fields in Cambodia.’

“On the other hand, concerning the easygoing loans from China, many observers find that it will make the Cambodian government frightened of the influence of Chinese businesspeople who flock into Cambodia in great numbers.

“It is noticed that at present, hundreds of Chinese companies invest in Cambodia, acting arrogantly as most companies of Chinese origin violate the labor law and the Cambodian workers’ rights. And it is hardly seen that the Cambodian government is active to solve such problems or warns the companies, while often putting pressure on the Khmer laborers and harming them. This is said that the attitude of the creditors and makes the Cambodian government acts in a frightened way towards Chinese companies, an attitude of those in debt, or of beggars.

“According to a report by the Center for Social Development, so far Cambodia has borrowed from China up to $600 million, and Cambodia, under Hun Sen’s control, still owe more than $2 billion to the Soviets [sic] and the USA, after the International Monetary Fund had canceled its debts of approximately $40 million to Cambodia last year.

“Many economic analysts in Cambodia enthusiastically want to see that the government of this country moves towards dignity and withdraws itself back from always being a debtor of foreign countries, by declaring to stop requiring foreign aid, and changes itself into a country of charity that helps other poor countries. They commented that maybe a long period of up to 30 years may be necessary for Cambodia to become economically independent and to stop needing the oxygen of breath from foreign counties.

“But in fact, the government of this country said that as long as Hun Sen is still the leader, Cambodia still cannot live by itself, because all government leaders are former Khmer Rouge soldiers, they cannot make the economy grow to become independent, as they continue to borrow money from foreign countries” Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3064, 17.1.2007

Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Wednesday, 17 January 2007

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1245, 17.1.2007

• ACLEDA Bank PLC. Increases Protection of Its Customers’ Property [it signs agreements with Jardine Lloyd Thompson Risk Solutions Asia and Asia Insurance (Cambodia)]
• Suspect Is Arrested by Officials and Sent to Court in Connection with Killing of Older Sister of Khmer TV9 Station Director-General [Phnom Penh]
• [Film star] Vang Sreyno Affirms that Pure Gold Is Not Afraid of Fire; However, She Agrees to Withdraw Lawsuit after Apology [by three journalists]
• Cambodian Mine Action Center Cleared More Than 25 Million Square Meters of Land in 2006
• Young Man and [16-year-old] Girl Sleep Hugging Each Other Overnight in Rice Field; Young Man Is Arrested by Police Next Morning [on accusation of rape attempt – Prey Nob, Sihanoukville]
• Bird Flu Recurs in Thailand
• Bird Flu Recurs in Japan

Khmer Amatak, Vol.8, #442, 17.1.2007

• Hun Sen Blames Ruin of Trees on Farmers Who Clear Forest for Farmland
• Concerning Corruption Tricks of Seng Chhuon at Neak Loeang Ferry: If Corrupt People Are Sent for Investigation, It Is Like to Wake Up a Dead Body to Eat Rice [investigation is useless]

Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #5942, 17.1.2007

• Delegation of Japanese Government Visits Cambodia to Find Way against [human] Trafficking
• Sexy Star Vang Sreyno Withdraws Complaint; Three Newspaper Editors Make a Public Apology in Order to Avoid Detention
• 54 US Soldiers Were Missing in Cambodia During Vietnam War

Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3064, 17.1.2007

• Mr. Yim Sovann: Government Should Reflect on Chinese Loans
• So Mara [undersecretary of Tourism] and Kou Sum Saroeut [director-general of Tourism] Flex Muscles at Each Other to Compete to Take Control of Lucrative Positions in Ministry of Tourism
• Cambodian Independent Teachers’ Association Demands Hun Sen Government Urgently to Pass Anti-Corruption Draft Law to National Assembly Soon

Rasmei Angkor, Vol.14, #1138, 17.1.2007

• Man Killed [by unknown person] Opposite Buddha Statue in Buddhist Temple in Wat Chbar Ampov Pagoda [Meanchey, Phnom Penh]

Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4187, 17.1.2007

• League of Cambodian Journalists Calls for Release of Three Journalists [about complaint of film star Vang Sreyno over sex video clip allegation]
• US Senator [Jeff Schoenberg] Studies Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia
• Vietnam Says Human Trafficking Across Cambodian Border Increases
• Twelve Garment Factories [in Cambodia] Have Closed

Reach Seima, Vol.2, #132, 17.1.2007

• Corruption Is a Bone in People’s Throats, but It Is Delicious Food for the Government
• Khmer Citizens Become Debtors as Begging Government Begs
• Garment Factory Investors Threaten to Close Factories as Khmer Officials Are Notorious for Corruption

Samleng Yuvachun Khmer, Vol.14, #2945, 17.1.2007

• Many Civil Society Organizations Are Worried as Government Borrows from China Hundreds of Million of Dollars
• Victim Citizens Increasingly Lose Belief in National Authority for Solving Land Disputes of Sok An [because it doesn’t help the victims of land disputes]

Sralanh Khmer, Vol.3, #307, 17.1.2007

• Mu Sochua [Secretary-General of SRP] Says Threat against Opposition Members Is a Big Crime