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*Tong Soprach is a social-affairs columnist for the Post’s Khmer edition.* http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012120660126/National-news/a-nation-hobbled-by-debt.html On Thu, Dec 6, 2012 at 10:36 PM, Kim ya LIM <[email protected]> wrote: > > ជំរាបសួរ > > ខ្ញុំសង្កេតឃើញអ្នកសរសេរយល់ច្រឡំ ទៅតាមការឃោសនារបស់ពួកគណៈប្រជាជនកាន់អំណាច > ដោយថា របបលោកលន់ ណុលខ្ចីលុយអាមេរិកាំងចំនួន ៣៧០ > លានដុល្លាទិញអាវុទ្ធមកសំលាប់ខ្មែរ។ តាមការពិត គឺ > របបលោកលន់ ណុលខ្ចីលុយអាមេរិកាំងដើម្បីទិញ > ម្ហូបអាហារចែកដល់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋនៅពេលនោះ ដោយទ័ពយៀកកុង ខ្ទប់បិទ ទន្លេមេកុង > ដែលកប៉ាល់ឡើងមិនរួចពីស្រុកយួនខាងត្បូង។ ចំណែក អាវុទ្ធដែលច្បាំងនៅពេលនោះ > ដោយយួនខាងជើងឈ្លានពានប្រទេសខ្មែរ ដែលខ្មោចអតីតស្តេចសីហនុទៅចូលដៃ > គឺអាមេរិកាំងផ្តល់ឲ្យទាំងអស់។ > ឯចំណែកច្បាំង ពីឆ្នាំ ១៩៧៩ មក គឺរបបបក្សប្រជាជនទៅខ្ចីលុយរស្សី ទិញអាវុទ្ធ > មកសំលាប់ខ្មែរមែន។ > > លិម គិម យ៉ា > > > Behind every debt is a lender who never forgets. During the Lon Nol regime > from 1970 to 1975, Cambodia borrowed US$370 million from the US; this money > was used to buy weapons and bombs that killed Cambodians. > > > > > Message du 06/12/12 18:05 > > De : "PuppyXpress" > > A : "camdisc" > > Copie à : > > Objet : Is it fair for people to borrow vast amounts of money, then > expect their children to pay off all their debts? > > > > > > > > > > > *A nation hobbled by debt > <http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012120660126/National-news/a-nation-hobbled-by-debt.html> > * > > Thursday, 06 December 2012 > > Tong Soprach > > > > > > Workers during construction of the Kamchay dam, in Kampot province. The > dam, capable of supplying 193 megawatts of electricity, was built by the > Chinese company Sinohydro. Photograph: The Phnom Penh Post > > A new-born Australian baby is eligible for benefits of AUS$5,437 (around > US$6,000). But there is nearly $1,000 of national debt for every Cambodian > baby. How does that influence these infants’ respective futures? > > > > Recently, there have been been varying estimates of the scale of > Cambodia’s debt. > > > > Cambodian People’s Party parliamentarian Cheam Yeap claimed the national > debt amounted to about US$7 billion, but Prime Minister Hun Sen said the > figure was just over $2 billion. > > > > After that, Yeap didn’t comment further on the matter. > > > > Meanwhile, the Sam Rainsy Party says Cambodia’s debts total about $10 > billion. According to Reuters, Cambodia’s debt to China alone is at least > $4.7 billion. > > > > The question is, which figure is accurate? And when will the Royal > Government give us a valid estimate of how much it owes? > > > > Last week, the National Assembly allowed the government to borrow $900 > million from abroad in 2013. Meanwhile, Hun Sen has asked China for an > additional $500 million to build roads. > > > > Some local economists have urged the government to borrow as much as > possible. But who will pay it all back? > > > > Many of Cambodia’s natural resources are already gone, and it is unclear > whether oil reserves on the sea floor are even ours. > > > > As for the culture of selling, so much has already been sold in the name > of “development”, including our cultural heritage, state buildings, > Cambodian embassy buildings abroad and even our women’s hair. > > > > What will be next? Selling our underwear? > > > > If all these companies plant rubber and coconut trees for export, they > don’t develop local production. Even our pens are imported; it’s shameful. > > > > Many countries constantly think about their income, but Cambodia seems > to be always thinking about how to receive donations and borrow more money. > > > > Is it fair for people to borrow vast amounts of money, then expect their > children to pay off all their debts? > > > > Behind every debt is a lender who never forgets. During the Lon Nol > regime from 1970 to 1975, Cambodia borrowed US$370 million from the US; > this money was used to buy weapons and bombs that killed Cambodians. > > > > Parliament and the Royal Government insist that the US must cancel this > debt, but America still expects it to be repaid. > > > > So, if the Kingdom is borrowing more and more money, is this debt really > for development? Or just to build some infrastructure while fuelling > corruption and allowing the ruling party to remain in power? > > > > USAID <http://cambodia.usaid.gov/> reported in 2009 that Cambodia was > losing more than US$500 million every year to corruption. > > > > This is the issue: foreigners pity Cambodians today, and the next > generation too. > > > > It is so unfair that for every innocent baby born, there are thousands > of dollars of debt to repay, and that this borrowed money is not always > used for the nation’s development. > > > > This is a painful reality for the poor Cambodian people who not only > receive meagre benefits but also have to help pay back huge debts. > > > > Does the government recognise these debts? This is not the karma of > Cambodians who didn’t do well in a previous life and must suffer to repay > debts from previous regimes. > > > > This is also different from the Angkor era, when temples and natural > resources were preserved for the future. > > > > Since 2007, after the arrest of the Khmer Rouge leaders, there have been > lots of donations and loans from China to Cambodia. China has replaced > Japan as our biggest donor. > > > > The question is whether Beijing is being so generous to Cambodia because > China is now the world’s second-biggest economy. > > > > Or is it because China is trying to confront the South China Sea issue > while Cambodia is the chair of ASEAN? > > > > Or perhaps because China is trying to atone for the fact that the Khmer > Rouge, supported by China, killed at least 1.7 million innocent Cambodians? > > > > The Extraordinary Courts in the Chambers of > > Cambodia<http://www.eccc.gov.kh/en>(ECCC) have been able to prosecute only > > two categories of alleged > perpetrators for crimes allegedly committed between April, 1975 and > January, 1979: senior leaders of Democratic Kampuchea and those believed to > have been most responsible for grave violations of national and > international law. > > > > After receiving so much unconditional money from Beijing, the Kingdom is > always trying to please China. > > > > As for the Khmer Rouge trials, the ECCC has concluded only Case 001 – > and Duch was the lowest-ranking of the leaders arrested. > > > > After the ECCC is finished, will Beijing’s donations continue? Is this > an effort by China to offset its mistakes, as Japan did? > > > > After the 1993 United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia's > <http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/past/untac.htm>election, > Japan became the biggest donor to Cambodia, which it occupied during World > War 2. > > > > But Cambodia made no claims against Japan for the suffering it endured > during that occupation. > > > > Blinded by money, we have forgotten all the death and destruction. > > > > In the end, the broken infrastructure is for Cambodia, the dead people > are Cambodians, the Khmer Rouge trials are of Cambodians and the huge debts > are Cambodia’s too. > ------------------------------ > > *Tong Soprach is a social-affairs columnist for the Post’s Khmer edition.* > > > > > http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012120660126/National-news/a-nation-hobbled-by-debt.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. > This is an unmoderated forum. Please refrain from using foul language. > Thank you for your understanding. Peace among us and in Cambodia. > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/camdisc > Learn more - http://www.cambodia.org > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. > This is an unmoderated forum. Please refrain from using foul language. > Thank you for your understanding. Peace among us and in Cambodia. > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/camdisc > Learn more - http://www.cambodia.org -- "There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self." ~ Aldous Huxley -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. This is an unmoderated forum. Please refrain from using foul language. Thank you for your understanding. Peace among us and in Cambodia. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/camdisc Learn more - http://www.cambodia.org
