The Mirror, Vol. 11, No. 507
“At a time when diplomats, non-government organizations, politicians, and other people are concerned that the oil resources, which are a great wealth, will not reach the people but will go into the pockets of corrupt high-ranking officials, Mr. Sam Rainsy, the president of the opposition party of Cambodia, said that he will urge that the anti-corruption law be adopted, before Cambodia gets the first income from oil, especially if the Sam Rainsy Party wins the 2008 elections.
“Speaking to Sralanh Khmer at the [Sam Rainsy Party] headquarters in Phnom Penh yesterday, after returning from abroad, Mr. Sam Rainsy said, ‘Between now and before 2010, when oil will provide great amounts of money to our nation, only a few years from now, I believe that the anti-corruption law will have been adopted. When this law is adopted, we will implement it properly, then we will prevent the looting of the nation’s oil wealth and of other sources .
“Mr. Sam Rainsy added, ‘The Sam Rainsy Party will work to guarantee that the resources from oil will be used correctly. We have to fight corruption, and the oil income is to be used also for the treatment of diseases of the people, especially of the poor – i.e. there must be enough hospitals, doctors, medical staff, equipment, and medicines, in order to guarantee the treatment of diseases of the people free of charge.
“He stated, ‘A government led by the Sam Rainsy Party would use the resources for education, i.e. to promote education so that Khmer children who want to study can study up to university; even if they are poor, we will manage the resources from oil to provide scholarships to Khmer students, so that all of them can go to school according to their learning abilities.
“Mr. Sam Rainsy said, ‘If we have money from oil for specific expenditures, what we will do is not different from what other countries that know how to manage oil do, such as Saudi Arabia, which organizes proper health and educational systems, so that its people receive public services in both these fields.
“Mr. Sean Pengse, the president of Cambodian Border Committee in France, a former Minister of Industry, Mines, and Energy of the Khmer Republic [1970 to 1975], and other experts on oil, such as Mr. Joseph A. Mussomeli, the US Ambassador in Phnom Penh, and some officials of non-government organizations, said that if Cambodia has no anti-corruption law, the output from oil will go only into the pockets of a few corrupt officials, and then the Khmer citizens will be poorer and poorer.
“Concerning the anti-corruption law, Mr. Sam Rainsy said, ‘The Sam Rainsy Party will work towards an anti-corruption law which meets international standards, especially after the 2008 elections, because the Sam Rainsy Party will get enough votes to press for the anti-corruption law to be adopted.’
“Mr. Hun Sen responded on 24 April, when he attended a meeting to review the work accomplished in 2006 and the goal of work for 2007 at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport at Chaktomuk Theater, to the opinions of concern about the oil output, ‘I have heard the repeated words of much concern about the time when there will be income from oil – very much concern. I say, however, it would be more of a concern if there were no oil. One should not worry when there is oil, some people still speak about it like in Nigeria, where there is an “oil curse.” These days, I can feed the children [= support the Cambodian citizens] by catching small fish and small crabs, but not gold. One will not be stupid not knowing how to feed the children when one can use gold.’
“Mr. Sean Pengse said that the concern of Khmers in the country is about corruption, because so far Mr. Hun Sen’s government has not yet adopted the anti-corruption law so that it could be implemented effectively and transparently. He said, ‘Oil exploitation must be the responsibility of the Ministry of Industry. In other countries, oil exploitation is conducted by a Ministry of Industry. But in Cambodia, oil exploitation is to be conducted under Mr. Sok An [chairperson of the Cambodia National Petroleum Authority and], who is not an expert and not a technical person, and all involved staff there have no technical knowledge. Then what should the Ministry of Industry do? That is why many oil experts said that Cambodia has oil, but only a few persons will benefit from this oil… so they have fear on behalf of us all.’” Sralanh Khmer, Vol.3, #398, 12.5.2007
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Saturday, 12 May 2007
Kampuchabot, Vol.11, #245, 10-11.5.2007
- H.E. Kep Chuktema [Phnom Penh Municipal Governor]: We Build Roads, Bridges, School Buildings, and Hospitals; This Is Poverty Alleviation
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1337, 12.5.2007
- Woman [who has AIDS] Kills Her Baby Boy Who Also Has AIDS [by throwing him into a river – she is arrested – Svay Rieng]
Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3156, 12-13.5.2007
- Sam Rainsy Demands Hun Sen Explain Reshuffle of Minister of Tourism
- Siamese [Thai] Customs Officers Say 5.22 Million Boxes of Beers Were Exported to Cambodia in 2006, but Khmer Customs Officers Say Only 0.13 Million Boxes of Beer Were Imported [from Thailand]
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4282, 12.5.2007
- Samdech Hun Sen Provides Ten-Room School Building to Tuol Tompung Primary School [Phnom Penh]
- Royal Thai Ambassador Provides Medical Equipment to National Pediatric Hospital [Phnom Penh]
- Samdech Chea Sim Receives Japanese and Australian Ambassadors
- American Investors Study Business Atmosphere in Cambodia
- More Than 5,000 Young People Apply at Competition to Work in [South] Korea [Phnom Penh]
- Mobile Phone Market in Cambodia Increases by Approximately 35% per Year
- Lotteries Increase among Poor People in Cambodia
Samleng Yuvachun Khmer, Vol.14, #3033, 12.5.2007
- USA to Deport 2,000 Khmers [who have committed crimes in the USA] to Cambodia
- Leaders of Some Trade Unions Will Meet with Each Other on Sunday to Discuss Amendment of Article 144 [of labor law, because the amendment affects the workers’ benefits negatively]
Sralanh Khmer, Vol.3, #398, 12.5.2007
- Sam Rainsy Urges Anti-Corruption Law to Be Adopted Before Getting Oil Output
Thngay Nis, Vol.13, #608, 12-14.5.2007
- Workers Will Demonstrate against Amendment of Article 144 by National Assembly [of the Labor Law, reducing overtime payments]
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