----- Original Message ----- From: samngatki To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 6:56 AM Subject: From America's first black Ambassador to America's first black President
KHMER INTELLIGENCE NEWS 20 January 2009 >From America's first black Ambassador (to Cambodia) to America's first black >President (1) Today is the inauguration day in Washington DC for President Barack Obama, America's first black President. But in Cambodia, many people remember Mr. Charles A. Ray as America's first black Ambassador in this country, more than five years ago. They also remember what he said at an important donor meeting in 2004, urging the Hun Sen government to combat corruption, to no avail as evidenced by subsequent developments and the current situation in 2009. Ambassador Ray said: « According to the August 2004 USAID-funded corruption assessment, "ordinary Cambodians are subject to a daunting array of small and medium exaction, some paid virtually on a daily basis." That same report highlighted the significant loss in legal revenue due to smuggling, bribes and other illegal practices, which possibly totals as much as all donor assistance. In light of these statements, it is no exaggeration to view corruption as a cancer that threatens this country's economic, political and social development. Cambodia should pass an effective anti-corruption law that is based on international standards, as embodied in the United Nations Convention against Corruption. We must move beyond simple acknowledgement of the problems to demand concrete, verifiable actions to combat the epidemic of corruption directly. » Read Ambassador's Ray entire speech at http://www.cdc-crdb.gov.kh/cdc/7cg_meeting/7cg_document/fighting_corrupton_usa_eng.htm Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith to be removed (3) Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith who is also Information Minister and the official mouthpiece for the CPP, and who has a reputation of being a drunkard, is causing more and more embarrassment to the Government and the CPP with his often thoughtless remarks. In The Phnom Penh Post, front page January 19 article titled "SRP calls for government bailout, Rainsy claims thousands of jobs lost in financial crisis", Khieu Kanharith again shows he doesn't know what he is talking about. While opposition leader and former Finance Minister Sam Rainsy suggests that the Government prepare a "$500-million stimulus package to cope with the world economic crisis", he is quoted as saying there is no need for such a package because "the government reserves funds in every annual budget for unforeseen circumstances," before specifying "We have a reserve budget, not only for the global economic crisis but also for other disasters such as floods, and so forth." But he added he could not remember the exact amount set aside in 2009 [actually $144 million versus $132 million in 2008]. Khieu Kanharith's comment shows he doesn't understand a word about what Sam Rainsy was referring to: world financial crisis, macroeconomics, fiscal policy, monetary policy, full-employment equilibrium, aggregate demand, deficit spending and Keynesian economic theory. On the same topic, in the January 18 edition of Rasmei Kampuchea, another CPP official, National Assembly Vice-President Nguon Nhel is quoted as saying the Government doesn't need to follow Sam Rainsy's recommendation related to the world economic crisis because it has already taken "measures against inflation". Apparently, Nguon Nhel is mixing up inflation with deflation. See details of Sam Rainsy's proposal at http://tinyurl.com/7urlzy Read The Phnom Penh Post article at http://tinyurl.com/a564fg Read Rasmei Kampuchea article at http://tinyurl.com/8fbfbs Farm products prices have plummeted (1) Farm products prices have recently plummeted in Cambodia as a result of the world economic crisis. Prices paid to farmers in January 2009 (versus in January 2008): - Paddy (unhusked rice): 700 riels per kilogram (1,100 riels per kilogram, - 36%) - Corn (maize): 350 riels per kilogram (600 riels per kilogram, - 42%) - Cassava (dry): 280 riels per kilogram (750 riels per kilogram, - 62%) - Cassava (fresh): 125 riels per kilogram (350 riels per kilogram, - 64%) - Pepper: 8,500 riels per kilogram (16,000 riels per kilogram, - 47%) - Latex (liquid rubber, dry equivalent): 2,500 riels per kilogram (6,000 riels per kilogram, - 58%). Farmers, who represent some 80 percent of Cambodia's workforce, are intensely suffering from the fall in agricultural prices which determine their revenues and living conditions. Information from black box from Hok Lundy's helicopter not available (2) National Police Chief Hok Lundy died in a helicopter crash on November 9, 2008. Not all questions have been answered regarding the circumstance surrounding his death. Information from the black box (flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder) from the French-built Ecureuil helicopter which he traveled on that day, has not been made public. There are indications that there will be attempts to put all the blame on Hok Lundy for many not-yet-elucidated crimes that have plagued Cambodian politics: the deadly grenade attack in front of the National Assembly in 1997, the assassination of union leader Chea Vichea in 2004, the murder of opposition journalist Khim Sambo in 2008, and other political killings. The ploy/plot is very similar to the one aimed at putting all the blame on Pol Pot and only five or six surviving Khmer Rouge leaders for all the crimes against humanity perpetrated under the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979). KI-Media: Most popular Cambodian Web site (1) KI-Media which was launched in July 2005, has become by far the most popular Cambodia-related Web site, having welcomed 5,000,000 visitors over only 3½ years. It is an anti-CPP and pro-democracy media managed by overseas Cambodians in North America but with contributors from all over the world. It is being targeted by the Phnom Penh government which is currently drafting a law that will extend current print media rules to other media platforms, including the internet. Visit KI-Media by clicking at http://www.ki-media.blogspot.com/ [End] __._,_.___ Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages | Files | Photos | Links | Database | Polls | Members | Calendar ---------------------------------------- Being a member of this Group entails that you will receive all news compiled by Khmer Intelligence by e-mail as soon as they are posted on our web site. 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