Political Politiktoons: "The Universal Town Square"

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

Groups Postpone Results of Corruption Survey

By Chun Sakada,
VOA Khmer, Original report from Phnom Penh
03 June 2009

An umbrella group of rights organizations postponed a press conference to discuss corruption research Wednesday, in the wake of a row between the US and Cambodian governments.

The group, Pact Cambodia, was scheduled to present findings of a 2008 corruption survey, funded by USAID, Thursday. No new date was set.

The government held a press conference on Tuesday lambasting anti-corruption statements by US Ambassador Carol Rodley, who said in a speech last week the country loses $500 million annually to corruption.

The Report on Corruption Barometer Survey in Cambodia for 2008 was supported by Transparency International and funded by USAID.

No reason was given by organizers for the postponement, but the cancellation came just a day after senior government officials said Rodley’s remarks on corruption were one-sided and unsupported.

“The Royal Government of Cambodia absolutely refutes the politically motivated and unsubstantiated allegation made by the United States diplomat in contradiction of the good relations between Cambodia and the United States Government,” the government said in a letter to the US Embassy.

US officials have declined to comment on the government’s statement.

Nuth Youthy, a senior researcher for Pact Cambodia, declined to comment on the postponement of the report’s release.

Anti-Corruption Law Far Off: Lawmaker

By Sok Khemara,
VOA Khmer, Original report for Washington
09 June 2009

Yem Ponhearith, a member of parliament from the Human Rights Party.

Cambodia likely will be waiting a long time for an anti-corruption law to be passed, with the next move up to the government, an opposition parliamentarian told “Hello VOA” Monday.

Yem Ponhearith, a lawmaker for the Human Rights Party, which has three seats in the National Assembly, told “Hello VOA” in an interview in Washington that anti-corruption legislation has been in the making for more than a decade and there were no signs it had support now.

Donors have pushed hard for anti-corruption reform, while Cambodia is viewed as one of the most corrupt countries in Asia.

The government recently lashed out against statements by US Ambassador Carol Rodley, who estimated the country loses $500 million per year to corruption.

“The most important matter is to make sure the law can be out for implementation, and the question of effective implementation or not that is another issue,” Yem Ponhearith said. “The law should be passed and promulgated first.”

Responsibility for the law was currently in the hands of the administrative government and not the National Assembly, he said.