Photo by: Heng Chivoan
Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong greets Scot Marciel, US ambassador to ASEAN and deputy assistant secretary of state, at the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Tuesday.We’ve made it clear a number of times ... how ... disappointed we were by cambodia’s decision.
The United States has no plans to forgive Cambodia’s decades-old debt, a senior US diplomat said Tuesday, after Cambodian officials renewed requests for the country’s Lon Nol-era debt to be erased from the books.
Speaking to reporters near the end of a brief visit to Cambodia on Tuesday, Scot Marciel, the US Ambassador for ASEAN affairs and the deputy assistant secretary of state for its East Asia and Pacific bureau, said his government’s stance on the issue had changed little, despite repeated requests.
“The US position is that Cambodia has recognised this debt. We think Cambodia should begin to make payments on this,” Marciel said.
“The Cambodian government has not been willing to do so. So it’s something we’ll continue to talk about.”
In meetings in Phnom Penh earlier Tuesday, Cambodian officials proposed that the US forgive 70 percent of the Kingdom’s debt from the Lon Nol era, estimated at more than US$300 million.
“The debt is from the Lon Nol regime and was used for buying weapons for war,” Ouch Borith, secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters earlier Tuesday.
“This is the reason why Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong requested cancellation, because the funds [were] not being used to develop the country.”
‘Concern’ over Uighurs
Marciel is the top US State Department official to visit Cambodia since the December deportation of 20 Uighur asylum seekers to China – a move that was a topic of concern in meetings.
“We’ve made it clear a number of times both publicly and privately, how concerned and disappointed we were by Cambodia’s decision,” Marciel said.
“We had urged the Cambodian government before they deported the people not to go that route because they had not gone through the [UN refugee agency’s vetting] process to determine whether they had a legitimate claim to asylum.
“So, yes, we’re very disappointed with that decision. We reiterated that today,” Marciel added.
Marciel said he met with government officials, as well as opposition groups and civil society during his brief stay here, part of a broader trip through the region.
He was to fly to Thailand on Tuesday evening for a similarly short visit to Cambodia’s neighbour. Marciel touched on the recent frosty relations between the two nations Tuesday.
“We are good friends with both Cambodia and Thailand,” Marciel said.
“Like most countries, we’re concerned about the tension between the two countries.
“What we have said is that we hope that both governments, both leaders, will do what they can to try to reduce tensions to begin with.”
Speaking to reporters near the end of a brief visit to Cambodia on Tuesday, Scot Marciel, the US Ambassador for ASEAN affairs and the deputy assistant secretary of state for its East Asia and Pacific bureau, said his government’s stance on the issue had changed little, despite repeated requests.
“The US position is that Cambodia has recognised this debt. We think Cambodia should begin to make payments on this,” Marciel said.
“The Cambodian government has not been willing to do so. So it’s something we’ll continue to talk about.”
In meetings in Phnom Penh earlier Tuesday, Cambodian officials proposed that the US forgive 70 percent of the Kingdom’s debt from the Lon Nol era, estimated at more than US$300 million.
“The debt is from the Lon Nol regime and was used for buying weapons for war,” Ouch Borith, secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters earlier Tuesday.
“This is the reason why Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong requested cancellation, because the funds [were] not being used to develop the country.”
‘Concern’ over Uighurs
Marciel is the top US State Department official to visit Cambodia since the December deportation of 20 Uighur asylum seekers to China – a move that was a topic of concern in meetings.
“We’ve made it clear a number of times both publicly and privately, how concerned and disappointed we were by Cambodia’s decision,” Marciel said.
“We had urged the Cambodian government before they deported the people not to go that route because they had not gone through the [UN refugee agency’s vetting] process to determine whether they had a legitimate claim to asylum.
“So, yes, we’re very disappointed with that decision. We reiterated that today,” Marciel added.
Marciel said he met with government officials, as well as opposition groups and civil society during his brief stay here, part of a broader trip through the region.
He was to fly to Thailand on Tuesday evening for a similarly short visit to Cambodia’s neighbour. Marciel touched on the recent frosty relations between the two nations Tuesday.
“We are good friends with both Cambodia and Thailand,” Marciel said.
“Like most countries, we’re concerned about the tension between the two countries.
“What we have said is that we hope that both governments, both leaders, will do what they can to try to reduce tensions to begin with.”
3 comments:
As a Khmer I have been through many wars in Cambodia. The wars that we did not need. These wars were caused by the foreigners. How Cambodia incurred heavily debt of 339 million US dollars? I don't want to insult the US by making rude comments. You know for sure that Cambodia has no ability to service the debt and I believe the US should waive the debt and compensate Cambodian people for the suffering that they caused (how many Cambodians had the US killed directly and indirectly?). If the US wants to look good in the world community it should donate the money to
Cambodia, it is only about a dollar each for American people. Another thing Cambodia went bankrupt many times after it incurred the debt including the year zero during 1975-79. God bless America!
It look like the USA doesn't care about our 15 million people again but the few uighbur assylums from china. And here might as well sale us Khmer more weapons to fight the Thai. like the weapons that we bought to fight the yuon. How heartless can this be. This time they might bomb oddur meanchey I
I think the U.S doesn't want to forgive debts because Hun Sen is very corrupt by losing around $500 million per year to corruption. Also U.S doesn't like Hun Sen and never been a good friend of Hun Sen. When Rainsy or Kem Sokha take powers, which they never will if Hun Sen control the election process, then U.S will for sure forgive these debts.
Post a Comment