A Change of Guard

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Thursday 13 January 2011

Tycoons quit before declaring assets

Top: Tycoon-senator Mong Reththy, whose overseas-bound ship was found loaded with 7 tonnes of marijuana in 1997. Bottom: Tycoon-senator Lao Meng Khin and his wife Cheung Sopheap, better known as Yeay Phu, owner of Shukaku Inc.,was involved in a controversial project in Boeng Kak Lake where many residents were forcibly evicted without proper compensation.

Wednesday, 12 January 2011
By Meas Sokchea
Phnom Penh Post

Ten tycoons have asked permission to resign their government posts following the introduction of new rules requiring senior officials to disclose their assets to anti-graft authorities, an official said on Tuesday.

Sieng Borath, deputy president of the Anticorruption Unit, said that the businessmen – which included senators, members of parliament and advisors to senior officials – tendered their resignations when asset declarations became mandatory at the start of this month.

He did not name names, and emphasised that those reportedly involved were not resigning in an attempt to cover up ill-gotten gains, but were instead afraid they might accidentally leave some of their many assets off the declaration form.

“An oknha [tycoon], he has his legitimate job. There is nothing involved with corruption, but he finds it difficult because of his many assets,” Sieng Borath said in a speech on asset declarations at the Ministry of Information on Tuesday.

“The resignation doesn’t mean that he is corrupt, but that he finds it difficult to include those assets, that he might forget.”

Under the Kingdom’s new Law on Anticorruption, as many as 100,000 senior government officials will be required to declare their assets to the ACU by the end of next month.

When contacted on Tuesday, two tycoons holding government posts said they would not resign in the face of the new regulations.

“What the state requires us to do, we must do that. If we resign, it means that we have a problem,” said Chea Chamroeun, an oknha and parliamentarian from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party.

Yin Sovanny, an adviser to Senate President Chea Sim, agreed resignations could be construed as a sign of guilt.

“For me, there is no problem. It is not necessary to resign because we have not done anything [illegal],” he said.

Opposition Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Yim Sovann said tycoons were free to resign, but that the timing raised the question of whether they were trying to conceal ill-gotten gains.

“In the country that has the rule of law, even if they have big business and have any [government] posts, if they have honest business they will not be scared of declaring assets,” he said.

“We do not accuse any okhna, but in [Cambodia] most oknhas have illegal business.”

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's about time something is being done about those parasitic diseases that have been clinchinig to their wealth and power. Cambodia need to shake off these diseases and fleas. They have been pestering Cambodia economic progress long enough. This is a small example of what is dragging Cambodia down. This culture of corrupted governemt official whose interests are of their own by sacraficing the interest of a nation as a whole. Most if not all, are the officials of CCP government who are practicing this corruption. As much as I disagree with the CPP governemt, I'll give them credit cleaning up after themselves.

Anonymous said...

These bastards, we knew people that have limited capacity of education and intelligence like you can not be succeeded in life legitimately. To me, it is meaningless to be wealthy by stealing and cheating and absorbing the bloody of my people. You are all no different than the mafias.

Anonymous said...

Now as an ordinary citizen I am feeling more powerful then the business men and our government. Having freedom to move around, security to choose, and to have a little of rights to declare some voices. I am beginning to trust our government a little now. These are the right moves for our people and country as one to our future. We can not do all of these without controlling police corruption. Because they are the one that are even closer to the ordinary people and criminals. And the polices need to control better public nuisances. Like traffic violators that cause public disorders. Just imagine a traffic that are safe, clean, and orderly for all of us to travel. Would these be great to enjoy with our country when conviences. Freedom of security mobilities are our greatest next joy and happiness!!!!!! I can not wait when this next step to be ingrained in our governments and our people!!!!!!FREEDOM AND SECURITY HERE WE COME!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

How about looking into how these thugs made all these money? Or if you resigned, you off the hook and continue to be a thief.

Anonymous said...

Khmerization team could you please Post my article below in your bloge.

The united state, European union, King, Funcipece, CPP, and 92 precent of cambodia people are not with Mr. Sam rainsy, except Thai thuge that give rainsy hope but Thai thug only used SRP for their benifite, and SRP organization are totaly mess, mess, and messy, now as we clearly see How low, low, low and inexperienced Mr.Sam is? wasn't it right?. Based on negative preach and master in criticising skile stratergy Sam very wishly to divide, divid, and divide our Khmer, and his bige liar skile in sucking our money to support his family morgages in franch, what else Mr. supprior Rainsy can do, ....see any..... any.....no, none nothings, wasn't it right?. Same is Chines, alway smarte in Business.
Can any body could tell me what his father sam Sarry had don any goods things at all,.
Now we clearly see Same family are enslave us most of the time for gaining personal power and wealthy rich. All KI Editor are highly interlected and much more capable smarter than Rainsy, Now I can see KI and other SRP supporter could run SRP by their own, and we all clearly, clearly, and clearly see Mr. Same braind capacity are absolutely imposible to leade us to fictory, for now and for 15 years ahead, No ways that this man Same no longer in our dream, hope any more. He Same aroused our anger against Veit, agianst Cpp, Against all Khmer, do you stile thing if Mr.Sam are ellected to be leader, you think he going to eliminate Veit,? He can eliminat all CPP, does he strong anought to dealt with thia thug?.NOOOOOOO Nooooo and Nooo uslese Sam not at all. we absolutely, see futur with rainsy is about Rainsy his own greedy hunger and cheat all of us. Khmer help khmer not chines Rainsy. As I see You KI must positively chang to fairly ways in your professionalism to totaly focus on re build supperior cultur among Khmer any things that lead to preach stronger Khmer. Best Regards Mike

Anonymous said...

This shows that they have someting to hide. The millions, or billions, they've made are probably through criminal means, that's why they don't want to declare it. As the caption suggest, Mong Reththy made his million mostly from corrupt and criminal means. Yes, I also heard and read about his ship being detained in 1997 in Sihanoukville because police found it was loaded with 7 tonnes of marijuana. A Funcinpec Military Police Commander, Chao Sokhon, who detained the ship was arrested and jailed by Hun Sen and Ho Sok, deputy interior minister who wanted to arrest Mong Reththy, was threatened with arrest and assassination by Hun Sen when he public declare that anyone who wanted to arrest Mong Reththy must wear a "steel helmet". During the 1997 coup, Ho Sok was executed by Hok Lundy, presumably by order of Hun Sen.

Anonymous said...

Mike, you realize, you're not getting any support for your cause. What is matter with you? Do you not have anything better to say than saying hateful thing about Sam Rainsy? You're seriously insame in the membrane. You need to go see a psychiatrist.

Anonymous said...

Hey, idiot MIKE, whatever your pathetic name is. This article is not about Sam Rainsy or in anyway pertaining to Sam Rainsy, it is about Mr. Senator, Mong Rethy's resignation from member of parliament to avoid the mandatory "asset declarations" of all the gov't official. The hundred of millions of dollars of the illegal drug money that he made.

And another Senator Lao Meng Khin and his wife, Cheung Sopheap (Yeay Phu), set up bogus company to steal lands all over the country from my people to sell to big companies for development and share money among the crooked officials, that how they made hundred of millions of dollars, not because that they smart. Look at them, they probably never spent a day in school. They smart at stealing and cheating.

And they were the Senators all of those time, represented my people.

And you, you idiot Mike. Do you have any idea what are saying?, What is your goal in life?, Do you have any benefits from these people?, Did you ever received any benefits from these thieves?

Anonymous said...

Cpp liberat Kmher from killing field, rebuild our country, and work hards for protect our boder from Siam no one gave them credit. Sam hypnotized some people to believe that Youn will swallow Khmer, and some people never show the solution or what is the benifit idea that could protect our land. did you see are we constuctive or destructive, I not hate Rainsy, but I may help hime more than what you had thougth. If he only attack personal people, to me he divide us Khmer. I try my best to share with hime a positive chaleng lead to victory. As you can see now did any one will want to follow Master of jealousy and criticising? Looke In the universe on earth under the sund ca you see any one who won by criticising and divide their own people, you See youn are dangerious I see division are more dangerouse to Khmer.Mike please don't take it personaly.

Anonymous said...

From Mike,
Khmer in Camboida liberated Kmher from killing field, rebuild our country, and work hards for protect our boder from Siam no one gave them credit. Sam hypnotized some people to believe that Youn will swallow Khmer, and some people never show the solution or what is the benifit idea that could protect our land. did you see are we constuctive or destructive, I not hate Rainsy, but I may help hime more than what you had thougth. If he only attack personal people, to me he divide us Khmer. I try my best to share with hime a positive chaleng lead to victory. As you can see now did any one will want to follow Master of jealousy and criticising? Looke In the universe on earth under the sund ca you see any one who won by criticising and divide their own people, you See youn are dangerious I see division are more dangerouse to Khmer.Mike..
please don't take it personaly.

Anonymous said...

From Mike,
Khmer in Camboida liberated Kmher from killing field, rebuild our country, and work hards for protect our boder from Siam no one gave them credit. Sam hypnotized some people to believe that Youn will swallow Khmer, and some people never show the solution or what is the benifit idea that could protect our land. did you see are we constuctive or destructive, I not hate Rainsy, but I may help hime more than what you had thougth. If he only attack personal people, to me he divide us Khmer. I try my best to share with hime a positive chaleng lead to victory. As you can see now did any one will want to follow Master of jealousy and criticising? Looke In the universe on earth under the sund ca you see any one who won by criticising and divide their own people, you See youn are dangerious I see division are more dangerouse to Khmer.Mike..
please don't take it personaly.

Anonymous said...

any one see SRP MP at Poy pet to dealt with PAD where Khmer is Compatriot now, now PAD in Khmer boder,

Anonymous said...

To Khmerization if you feel inconvinient, no need to post article. I do understand your standing piont. Mike

Anonymous said...

To Mike
From a person not a member of SRP nor CPP.

I think you need to get your brain check. If you want someone to post your comments, please be fair to all. SRP is not the best right now, but CPP is Youn. CPP take it hard on Thai but not Viet who also is taking our land. And Please stop telling people that CPP is liberate us (Viet invaded us). Tell me why? This is a very simple question. If you can't see it please go and get your self check plus learn a bits more about modern history (maybe just google). Also don't try to a pro-analyst when you are noob.

Thank Khmerization for all the work done for so far and Happy New Year.

Khmerization said...

Mike at 10:30 AM, I think your comments are a bit personal, so I'm afraid I can't post it. Anyway, you have posted it in this forum already. However, I have posted your other comment in Khmerization blog because I think it is a very good comment, but not personal against anyone. In the future, please avoid personal attacks. If you can do this, even if the article is a criticism of me or anyone, I am willing to publish it because I think it is part of a healthy debate. But I can't publish articles based on personal attacks that are unsubstantiated. Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Khmerization, yes it is attack personaly, I can see that. Sorry, Sometimes I take too much emotion to put on paper. I strongly wish not one peice of article that lead to negatively critice each other shall be view in publice. but I can't do it myself, I believed Mr, Rainsy he heard me and if posible he may have to have good wonderful mentor with him. He should talk, act and preach closes to perfectiones in order to win people believe systematic. Thank one again Khmerization. Regards Mike