A Change of Guard

សូមស្តាប់វិទ្យុសង្គ្រោះជាតិ Please read more Khmer news and listen to CNRP Radio at National Rescue Party. សូមស្តាប់វីទ្យុខ្មែរប៉ុស្តិ៍/Khmer Post Radio.
Follow Khmerization on Facebook/តាមដានខ្មែរូបនីយកម្មតាម Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/khmerization.khmerican

Tuesday 26 June 2012

Why Cambodia?

Dear Readers, 
The U.S ambassador  is a representative of the U.S president and the U.S government in Cambodia, so if you choose to send an email to him, please be discreet, polite and diplomatic by avoiding profanities and offensive language. Thanks. Khmerization
By William E. Todd
500_amb
William E. Todd
Wow!  Thank you to everyone for the wonderful feedback and questions I received after my first “Ask the Ambassador” column last week.  I am excited by how many Cambodians are interested in having a dialogue with me, and I hope to continue to hear from you at AskAMBToddPP@state.gov.

This week, I will answer three questions that I received that I feel are very well related.  The first question, “Why did I choose Cambodia?” is very easy for me to answer.  It is a great country at a very important time in its history, and I feel I can make a positive difference.

This is not the first time I have been to Cambodia.  Over the years I have visited several times, most recently about two years ago when I came with my family.  At the time I was the U.S. Ambassador to Brunei.  We wanted to see Cambodia’s beautiful countryside, get to know its people, and enjoy the country’s culture.  We visited throughout the country including Phnom Penh and Siem Reap – we fell in love with the amazing temples, the excellent food, and most of all, the people.  Cambodians are wonderful and welcoming, and I felt blessed to show my wife and my children this “Kingdom of Wonder.”

I also knew if I could ever become Ambassador I could make a difference.  Fortunately for me two years later, I am very happy to be here.

That brings me directly to the next question I will answer today, “What is the United States doing for Cambodia?”  As U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, my primary goal is to promote an effective partnership between our two nations.

To that end, the United States provides funding to many NGOs that work throughout the country on a wide range of issues important to Cambodians – from the prevention of human trafficking to environmental issues with the Mekong River.  Beyond that, U.S. government agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU-2), and the Peace Corps work directly to improve opportunities and the general quality of life for Cambodians.

Many of you may have heard that the U.S. Department of State issued its 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report last week.  For Cambodia, we wish to raise awareness on the subject of human slavery and assist Cambodia with its own efforts to address the problem.  This year was a special year for combating trafficking-in-persons in Cambodia as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recognized Prum Vannak Anan, whose personal efforts have made an extraordinary difference in the global fight against modern slavery.  Mr. Vannak Anan’s work is a clear indicator that Cambodia is determined to eliminate this scourge, and the United States wants to be an engaged partner to make this happen.

Much of what we do is behind the scenes.  We are not building bridges or resorts, but rather, we are directly helping to advance the health, education, and security of everyday Cambodians.  If you want to learn more about our embassy’s programs, please visit the U.S. Embassy website at http://cambodia.usembassy.gov/.

Lastly, several people wrote to ask “What do you think of Cambodia’s situation nowadays?”  This is a big question, and one that I will address again and again in this column and on my blog (http://blogs.usembassy.gov/todd).  But from my last trip to Cambodia to now, I can definitely say that I am impressed by the development all over the country.  Roads are improving, and there are skyscrapers being built all over Phnom Penh.  These are sure signs of positive economic growth.  The country is beginning to transition from an agricultural-based economy to an industrial-based economy, which is a good sign of progress. 

Children need an education, people with education need to be able to find meaningful work in Cambodia, and Cambodia needs to continue working to become more attractive to business investors.  Young people need to stay in school as long as they can to get as much education as possible.  The youth of this country are its future.  The other day someone asked me, “In your opinion, Ambassador, what is the most important ‘sector or asset’ in Cambodia?”  I responded that it is the Cambodian youth; they are the future with over 70% of the population being 30 years of age or younger.  Through training, experience and opportunity, they will be the business and government leaders of this nation someday.

All of these things are related, and they are what I want to work on directly with Cambodians.

Cambodia is a wonderful place to live, and I am glad to be here working with the government, civil society, and the Cambodian people.  I know that together, by having these discussions, we can become even closer.

Please keep sending me your questions!  I look forward to hearing from you at AskAMBToddPP@state.gov.

William E. Todd is U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr. Ambassador,

I don't have any questions but I just want to say Thank You for your services to our country, The United States of America. The greatest country on the planet.

I am a native of Kampuchea (Cambodia) but I came to the USA on Sept. 22, 1984.

Thanks
SKH

Anonymous said...

Mr. Ambassador:
Why Khmer employees working in your Embassy are so arrogance and impolite? Is this what America train them to do? There is so much tension, animosity, hatred coming from their words. Every time they speak, you can feel the inhumanity aura around them. There should be a better attitude toward the people that go into the Embassy.

Anonymous said...

Mr> Ambassador if you care about the human suffering in Cambodia, America should use economic hit man strategy to get rid of Hun Sen and his cronies.

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr: Ambassador
I would like to know that in Cambodia in your office some people working there,when i applied for Visa to enter U.S or else where,why the employees of your office asking for side money or should i say bribe ?

How can you make visa applicant feel like they were serve as they suppose to be without worry about side money,bribe money? Do you think your employees working honestly without asking for side money? Do you aware of such corruption is going on among your employees?

Thank you very much.

Anonymous said...

The folks working in the U.S. embassy in Cambodia must be Yuon/Vietnamese members (secret members) under CPP regime. Watch out their attitudes which are not Khmer at all.

Khmer folks, please tell the Mr. Ambassador William Todd that those who work there in the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh are not real Khmer/Cambodian, but they are Yuon/Vietnamese born in Cambodia having such the bad attitudes. They (Yuon/Vietnamese) are very destructive and disastrous to Khmer (Cambodian) citizens because they are trying to take over Cambodia as the majority. Tell Mr. William Todd to terminate the interview the real Khmer folks who don't have the attitudes.

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

People,

This is who we are. Khmers people are rude, impolite when they get a bit richer than you...

I lived in the USA for the past 30 years, American teaches me to be nice to other...

Anonymous said...

26 June 2012 9:46 PM,

You are Yuon/Vietnamese like other Yuon/Vietnamese folks (rich and poor) pretending a Khmer/Cambodian blogger to write such a comment. You have destroyed Khmer/Cambodian reputation, making other foreigners think Khmer/Cambodian folks have bad attitude, be rude, and so on. You including Vietnamese folks and leaders are the land thieves, property thieves, etc. Your ancestors were from no where who lived in China during Mongol Empire period. Today, you and your Vietnamese folks and leaders succeeded to get land from Cambodia/Khmer, Champa (central Vietnam was disappeared). Just watch your mouth and words you mentioned because it will tell that you are completely a Yuon or Vietnamese evil like other evil Yuou/Vietnamese folks everywhere. You background from Yuon history will be spread out all over the world and let the world know your Yuon history which is very bad and terrible.