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Soprach Tong <[email protected]> On Fri, Dec 7, 2012 at 10:46 AM, PuppyXpress <[email protected]> wrote: > Please send your COMMENTS TO The Phnom Penh Post. > > > > *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 > > -- "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
