24 November 2004--Traffic Costs

Government statistics for 2003 report that 824 people were killed in traffic accidents in Cambodia while another 2,714 were seriously injured. However, the Asian Development Bank, in a news release this week said that "Official statistics grossly underestimate the actual numbers of persons killed or injured in road accidents" in Cambodia. The ADB estimates that Cambodia loses $116 million a year to vehicle accidents. That is 3.2% of the nation's gross domestic product, and the highest such figure in Southeast Asia. A high figure is not surprising to anyone who has experienced the chaos of Cambodia streets and drivers where there is little sense of proper driving, and almost no enforcement of even the minimal driving regulations on the books

1 November 2004--Cambodia, Haven for Terrorists?

A report of a United Nations Security Council committee last week warned that Cambodia could become a focal point for terrorist activity. The committee report also warned of concerns about terrorism possibilities in Australia, the Philippines, and Thailand, but focused mainly on Cambodia. Noting that Hambali, the head of Jemaah Islamiyah, spent six months in Phnom Penh before being captured in Thailand, the report said that the main worries in Cambodia were the lack of anti-terrorism legislation; the country's poor law enforcement climate; its porous borders; and corruption. An advisor to the prime minister downplayed the fears.

25 October 2004--Legitimizing the Government

In July, after a one-year deadlock in which there was no Cambodian government because the three political parties could not agree on a power-sharing arrangement, a compromise was worked out and a new government was formed. The sweetener in the deal was a promise that more of the opposition party members would get top government posts. Of course none of the ruling party were going to give up their posts. The solution? Create more high-level posts! Several ministries were divided and three new ministries appeared: the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training; the Ministry of Women's Affairs; and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans, and Youth Rehabilitation. This despite the fact that there was no legislation allowing the government to form new ministries. Little legalities like that didn't bother anyone but now this week the new legislature, the National Assembly, is going to pass a series of laws to retroactively make the new ministries legal

22 October 2004--Cambodia's Corrupted Judiciary #3

Only in Cambodia... The DDP office is having a problem with a deaf policeman! A man in a police uniform, apparently deaf and trying to use sign language, walked into the building and into the classrooms one day several weeks ago and frightened staff and students. Today he was back, reeking of alcohol, but didn't get into the building. And when he saw me, he hurriedly got up and left our yard. We are trying to find a way to keep him out without putting our staff into dangerous situations. Probably the first step is to get his name, or his photo, and then go the police(!) to complain.

How a deaf man could be a policeman in this country where people with disabilities are not allowed even to study to become teachers because they would "frighten the students" is beyond me

16 October 2004--Cambodia's Corrupted Judiciary #2

"Battambang province's deputy judicial police chief...came to the defense of five of his anti-drug trafficking police officers currently under investigation for extorting thousands of dollars from people they arrest" is the lead of a recent article in The Cambodia Daily newspaper.

"My officers are innocent," said the chief. "Whatever they have done during arrests, wherever they have been to work, they got orders from the boss." Notice the second statement has nothing to do with the first, since corrupt police officers must pay a portion of the money they extort to their superiors. In the law enforcement climate in Cambodia, if the second statement is true, it could very well be that the first is false.

The probe into the conduct of five officers was prompted by the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee's filing a complaint with the courts about two instances in which the police officers are said to have force arrested people to pay huge (for Cambodia) amounts of money.

12 October 2004--Cambodia's Corrupted Judiciary

The presiding judge of Phnom Penh Municipal Court recently acquitted a Canadian and a Dutchman of charges of pedophilia. Cambodia is widely known as a sex tourism destination and many children are abused, especially by foreigners. The NGO Action Pour Les Enfants filed complaints against the judge because in the case of the Canadian, there exist e-mails he wrote to a friend in Vietnam describing his sexual activities. There are also photographs of the Dutchman in sexual activities with young boys. The judge, in dismissing the cases, said there wasn't evidence of the crimes, even though the police of the Interior Ministry apparently "certified clearly that Mader is a pedophile."

The general public has little faith in Cambodian courts, said the director of the Cambodia Defenders Project. "The common view is that we don't believe judges" due to a widely held perception that bribes are paid to ensure results. No one trusts the courts." October 2004--King Sihanouk Abdicates

Yesterday, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, the son of King Norodom Sihanouk, announced that his father was abdicating the Cambodian throne. The king has repeatedly and increasingly more frequently threatened to step down, both because of his advancing age and medical problems and because of his frustration with the fractious and inefficient politics of the government. A nine-member Throne Council is supposed to pick a new monarch, but no legislation was ever enacted to instruct the Council on the process to be used for selection so much confusion and squabbling can be expected.


5 October 2004--Immunizations to Save the Children

According to official government statistics, one in eight Cambodian children dies before the age of five, usually because of preventable diseases such diphtheria, whooping cough, tuberculosis, and measles. Some NGOs would put the figure much higher, maybe one death out of every five children. In January, 2003 the government instituted a program to immunize all infants under the age of one with the seven standard vaccines for polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, and measles. Only 40% of the children are fully immunized against these diseases. However, misconceptions and lack of understanding among the very poor in remote rural areas has hindered the effectiveness of the campaign, although compliance is much better now than ten years ago. Polio was declared eradicated in Cambodia in 2000 and measles is the next target

2 October 2004--Smoothing the road for corruption

The road infrastructure of Cambodia is terrible and severely hampers the ability of farmers and merchants to do business. Often, getting supplies or selling products by road, if possible at all, is extremely difficult and expensive. But the advent of better roads doesn't necessarily guarantee a better business climate. In Kandal Province, residents say they no longer have to use boats, motorcycles, and bicycles to move goods along the formerly potholed and muddy road, but now they have to contend with unofficial checkpoints and unofficial taxes imposed by corrupt police and customs officials. Businessmen and farmers who object have their vehicles seized and a fine imposed. One farmer commented: "Before, the road was difficult but it was easy to do business. We could escape the police."

16 September 2004--Is there any wonder why the UN criticizes the Cambodia judiciary?

There was a strange juxtaposition of articles on the front page of The Cambodia Daily today. In the upper lefthand corner, under a headline PM Assails UN Criticism of Judiciary, Prime Minister Hun Sen boasted about Cambodia's legal system and complained about the role of foreigners in attacking the system. Foreign governments have requested that the tribunals for former Khmer Rouge leaders involve foreign jurists because the "Cambodian judiciary is widely perceived as being prone to political interference, corruption and incompetence."

Then in the bottom righthand corner is an article headlined Hun Sen, Three Senior CPP Officials Join Bar. The Prime Minister and three ruling party officials were sworn is as lawyers despite questionable qualifications. The law on Bar membership says that members must possess a bachelor of law degree or a law degree considered equivalent. At best Hun Sen has a number of honorary degrees from little-known foreign schools although he has not completed a formal high school education. The head of the bar association said they had evaluated the educational credentials of the four newest members and found them equal to real law degrees. Others said the bar association's approval was equivalent to stamping tin as gold.

13 September 2004--Khmer Rouge Trials On Hold--Again

Last week the Cambodian government announced the return of a UN delegation to continue with preparations for a trial for the leaders of the Khmer Rouge responsible for the deaths of so many Cambodians. Now the government has abruptly canceled the visit, saying they will wait until the National Assembly ratifies the law establishing the tribunal.

Some observers suspect the cancellation has to do with the small amount of foreign money that has been promised for the trial proceedings. The suspension could be the government's way of showing displeasure. Donor countries have in the past year expressed dissatisfaction with the projected large budget for the trials, calling it bloated and encouraging corruption

15 August 2004--Corruption in the Baby Business

The level and brazenness of corruption in this country is unbelievable. Here are some paragraphs from a recent newspaper article about bribes paid to Cambodian government officials to facilitate adoption of Cambodian babies by foreigners. Information about the payoffs comes from court records from the conviction of Lauryn Galindo in U.S. court on various charges resulting from her work as a baby-broker.