By Michael Benge
The American Thinker
10th June 2012
Recently,
I watched Florida's Senator Marco Rubio -- who is allegedly
short-listed as a vice-presidential candidate -- on TV, dancing around
to avoid answering whether he supports Mitt Romeny's position of cutting
foreign aid to reduce the budget deficit. While totally ending foreign
aid is unnecessary, countries with repressive and corrupt regimes are
prime candidates for such a move. First, a diplomatic démarche should be issued with a concrete timetable for ending human rights abuses and theft of aid.
Cambodia
is high on the list of problem nations in this regard. Free and fair
elections were held for the first and last time in 1993, when the
Royalist FUNCINPEC
Party (the United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and
Cooperative Cambodia) won. However, in 1997, Hun Sen, the number-two official
in the communist Cambodian People's Party (CPP), backed by 300 Pol Pot
Khmer Rouge (KR) fighters commanded by the notorious butcher Keo Pong,
led a coup d'état against FUNCINPEC. The new regime then committed extrajudicial
executions of around 100 top Army officers and party officials. Since
then there have been no free and fair elections, but instead only façades -- rigged elections under control of the CPP. Hun Sen is now prime minister of Cambodia.
Hun
Sen stands credibly accused of war crimes. In one eyewitness report,
"Hun Sen's troops threw hand grenades and later slit the throats of critically ill patients" in two hospitals in Kompong Cham. Relief
troops "discovered hundreds of bodies of men, women and children, young
and old, including Buddhist monks who had been first tortured and then
killed -- some executed by a gunshot to the back of the head, others
chopped to death with hoes, still others strangled to death or
suffocated by plastic bags tied over their heads."
Hun
Sen was also in charge of enforcing the K-5 Plan, referred to as the
"Petite Genocide," during the Vietnamese invasion, in which Cambodians
were forced into KR mine fields along the Thai border to plant bamboo
thickets, create fields of punji stakes, and lay additional mines. They
had to choose between the risk of being blown up constructing
the"bamboo wall" and being shot if they tried to escape. Tens of
thousands of Cambodians were killed.
Hun Sen has also placed many Khmer Rouge commanders in positions
of power in the army and government. His penchant for brutality and
use of death threats cow most members of the opposition and intimidate
the Cambodian population in general. He routinely uses the CPP's
parliamentary majority to strip opposition deputies of their immunity
and uses the judicial system to bring defamation proceedings against
those who refuse to kowtow to him. These are either imprisoned or
driven into exile. The International Genocide Trials of Khmer Rouge
leaders have ground to a halt after interference by Hun Sen and his
controlled judges resulting in the resignation of three Western judges.
Only one war criminal has been tried and convicted, and the remaining
indicted and imprisoned KR leaders are said to enjoy special privileges
-- reportedly because they have threatened to "rat out" Hun Sen for his
real role in the Khmer Rouge killings.
The
CPP controls all media. Freedom of expression and information are
curtailed; journalists are arrested and imprisoned, and newspapers,
magazines, and radio stations are shut down for publishing anything the
Hun Sen regime dislikes. The right to freedom of assembly has been
severely violated, as in a case in Bavet, Svay Rieng province, where the Bavet Mayor shot three factory workers on February 20 who were
protesting against squalid working conditions. The mayor admitted to
shooting them, was charged with a misdemeanor, and released -- thus, the
shooting victims live in fear. This is not an isolated incident, for
the cases of the murder of several union leaders remain unsolved.
On
April 26, Chut Wutty, one of the highest-profile Cambodian
environmental activists, was murdered in Koh Kong province for taking a
stand against greed and corruption by illegal loggers (Phnom Penh Post,
04/27/12). Cambodia's most powerful logging syndicate is led by
relatives of Hun Sen, including his wife (Global Witness' 2007 report,
"Cambodia's Family Trees"). Three weeks after Wutty's murder, soldiers
hired to protect the economic concession of a company killed a 14-year-old girl. She was part of a group of villagers organized to
defend their land against further encroachment. Deputy Prime Minister
Sar Kheng said the murder was justified and necessary to crack down on
an association for a democratic movement against illegal land-grabbing.
Hun
Sen, in his infamous "cockroach" speech in 2011, when responding to the
suggestion by a Cambodian critic that he should be worried about the
overthrow of a dictator in Tunisia, replied, "I not only weaken the
opposition, I'm going to make them dead ... and if anyone is strong
enough to try to hold a demonstration, I will beat all those dogs and
put them in a cage" (Brad Adams, Human Rights Watch, New York Times commentary
05/31/2012).
Forced
evictions have steadily risen in Cambodia. Tens of thousands of people
around the country, including indigenous populations and marginalized
families and individuals living in poverty, have been forcibly evicted,
and some killed, in land-grabs, often in connection with economic land
concessions granted to powerful foreign-owned companies. Evictions are
carried out by the Cambodian Army and police, who are paid by the
companies. Cambodia's Army, commanded by Hun Sen's son, is for hire to
private and foreign interests, and yet the U.S. provides military aid to
this corrupt and repressive army.
Corruption is rampant in Cambodia, which is ranked 164th
out of 183 countries by Transparency International. Billions of
dollars of aid funding by Western taxpayers, and now China, has done
relatively little to improve the lives of ordinary Cambodians, or to
produce needed reforms. Instead, the government is successfully
exploiting international aid as a source of political legitimacy (Global
Witness, "Country for Sale"). The U.S. Department of State is major
enabler, which recognizes Cambodia as "a constitutional monarchy with an
elected government." In fact, "King" Norodom Sihamoni is nothing more than an emasculated figurehead under the complete control of the CPP,
the government is a repressive kleptocracy, and Cambodia's rigged
elections are but a façade. However, State was honest enough to state
that members of the security forces commit arbitrary killings and act
with impunity. In May 2009, U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia Carol Rodley
proclaimed that approximately U.S. $700 million a year of foreign aid is lost through corruption. "Cambodia today is a country for sale and the
country is rapidly being parceled up and sold off" to foreign
interests, including its extractive resources. The proceeds are
pocketed by the Cambodian nouveau riche billionaire kleptocrats, with little going to the Cambodian citizenry.
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose"
(the more things change, the more they remain the same). The band
plays on -- and all too often, our foreign aid does more harm than good,
while America ends up looking like a paper tiger.
Michael Benge spent 11 years in Vietnam as a foreign service officer and is a student of South East Asian politics. He is very active in advocating for human rights, religious freedom, and democracy for the peoples of the region and has written extensively on these subjects.
9 comments:
This war criminal [Cpp] Huncent regime is strong only to the poor Cambodian people. Top 6% of populations which are Cpp official that either work for Cpp or Associate with Cpp got rich due to corruption or stealing from the country resources,land concession sold off anything that potential of making money to benefit this (officials )criminal regime.
These war criminals still barking like a mad dog of being strong to the poor and the weak(Khmers),but to the stronger powerful yuon,this so call strongman of the regime is very weak.
Thought out history all most all cambodians knew that Yuon Hanoi is encroaching our land since the fall out of Khmer empire to this day why all Khmer leader seems to not remembers our history,and loves to associate with the thieves (Yuon) to let it steal more land ? Put this criminals traitors in jail for treason that illegal gave away kosh Tral to Yuon 1985 treaty.
I am absolutely agree with Mike on this. The U.S gov't should stop giving money to Hun Sen or any countries with human rights issues.
Yes, but how many Khmer people read this article? and how to be spread this article in Khmer to the people living in the country? Most of Cambodian people don’t know about brutality of Hun sen but development of the country only. I hope, it will be possible for all Khmer to read it.
I don’t think the person, who wrote this article, understand American Aid in Cambodia. First of all the U. S. does not hand over million of dollars, blank check, directly to Hun Sen’s government. Most of the money is going directly to those people on the ground working in Cambodia. These people are often anti the Cambodian government, not for the government. There are some exceptional occasions such as Hor Nam Hong went to the U. S. He was getting paid for his room and board and more. There is a reason for that.
Cambodia was successfully taking with Burma in the behalf of the U. S. Now it is all about North Korea. It’s a wow for a small and a poor country such as Cambodia can do.
835 you were right but us srok Khmer never get any good credits for good work. And they did not mention that srok Khmer also brought ASEAN together after the time when they were broken like terrorist in Indonesia, bombing in Bali, etc.. We srok Khmer always get negative press. Why?????
The article is one of the most comprehensive articles which has detailed almost every crime committed by Hun Sen in his brutal rule for the last 30 years or so.
Hun Sen's supporters would like to think that he is their hero who had brought political stability and economic prosperity to Cambodia. However, they have always overlooked the crimes he had committed and his shortcomings, human rights abuses, such as forced evictions, suppression of freedom of speech, where journalists were arrested, imprisoned and even killed and the media were threatened to tow his lines. And his critics and opponents have been threatened and marginalized and suppressed with brutal force.
I wish that this article be translated into Khmer and published in many major newspapers and websites in Cambodia so that many ordinary Khmer people know about Hun Sen's dark side.
I love every bit of this article. It should be published in major U.S newspapers, like the New York Times and the Washington Post, so that many influential American policy-makers can read.
America did not hand aid directly to the Hun Sen regime, but the American military has cooperated very closely, and jointly staged many drills, with the Cambodian army and navy. Much of American aids, such as military uniforms and army gears, had been used in the forced evictions of poor people from their lands.
The U.S is courting Hun Sen and his regime to pull him and his regime from the Chinese influences, so I'm afraid that America is prepared to turn a blind eye to all the abuses committed by Hun Sen and his regime in Cambodia.
Hun Sen's wife and others
Sok An's real name is Hoa Van Anh
Hok Lung Dy is Nguyen Van Son
According to what I was told by Chamnan, Sam Heang was a wife of a VN top soldier in Cambodia and he was terminally ill in 1979, so he told Hun Nal to take over his wife after his death.
According to Mark A. Sam Hang was a wife of Do Moi.
Hun Nal cancelled his wedding party with Chamnan imediately after Do Moi died to go to Sam Heang.
Hun Nal later had a love affare with Him Sivorn and Sam Heang found out and took back a motocycle that Hun Nal bought for her (Sivorn) and worn her to stop the affare or death.
Later on with Pilika. Even he deeply in love with her, He was ordered by Hanoi to banish her or he would be out of the post. Hok Long Dy organised the asassination soon after.
Hun Nal had love affair (basically had sex) with many other young girls arranged by his aids. The girls kept in a room with light off and then Hun Sen came in and attack light a mad man. That what's their inner circle widely know.
Below is an article by Mark Smith
HUN SEN AND CAMBODIA
and A VN's son, HUN MANETH
(This briefing paper was sent to a Senate Committee Chairman)
I have recently heard American diplomatic personnel describing Mr. Hun Sen of Cambodia, his wife and his "children" based on a totally bogus biography, created by Vietnamese Intelligence.
Mr. Hun Sen has been awarded honorary degrees from American Colleges, based on his position and his formal educational background. His "legend," created for him by the Vietnamese, has him being a "College student" or sometimes a "High School student leader," prior to going to the jungle, to join the Khmer Rouge. In reality he attended exactly four years of Primary School. Any further "education" he received, came from Vietnamese Political Cadre.
Three years ago, when Mr. Hun Sen's advisors were attempting to gain myself as an ally, I was presented with the United Nations Geological Survey of Cambodia, along with a map. I was dumbfounded to learn that Mr. Hun Sen and his minions "own" all the natural resources of the Kingdom of Cambodia, with the exception, at that time, of three small mineral deposits marked "FUNCINPEC" on the map.
I asked Hun Sen's men, what percentage of profits, from any joint venture with American companies, exploiting these resources, would go to the National Treasury. The answer was astounding; "NONE!" The profits would be shared fifty-fifty, with the American Company putting up the initial development costs. Even better there would be no tax on resources shipped out of the country; "The port belongs to us and so does the Customs Service."
The above should give you some insight into how Hun Sen has amassed huge wealth and continues to enjoy the support of American businessmen. In other words; "Hun Sen and business 100% - Cambodia and Cambodians 0%. I would recommend not one dime of U.S. Taxpayer money go to this Government until some of the millions stolen by Hun Sen are spent first.
American diplomats and Hun Sen's American attorney are attempting another scam. Though publicly denouncing the European Union's donation of eleven plus million dollars to the up coming "election," American diplomats are using this as a hammer to pry money loose from the American Congress; "European businesses will have a leg up on American companies." Whoever bribes Hun Sen, regardless of nationality, has "a leg up" on everyone who does not. After all, as the mineral map depicts, he "owns" the country.
Homes, land and businesses belonging to assassinated FUNCINPEC members have been confiscated by the "State" and are being offered, through Hun Sen's American attorney, to American investors. These things were stolen Senator Helms, after the legitimate owners were murdered. I question, under American law, how this can be happening, with no outcry from our Government.
Lastly, I would like to once again mention the "son" of Mr. Hun Sen attending the United States Military Academy. First, this is not Hun Sen's son. This is Hun Sen's wife's son from her marriage to a Vietnamese. His background and lineage are bogus, a lie to gain entrance to an institution that prides itself in casting out any liar from its ranks. As with our Government's refusal to refer to the bloody events of July 1997, as a coup, the rules apply to everyone but Hun Sen.
Note:
After Hun Sen cancelled his wedding with Pin Chamnan to take over Sam Heang from a VN Comander, he arrange a marriage of Pin Camnan with one of his aid and body guards Kuch Chantha. Hun Sen has a daughter with Pin Chamnan too. She lives in Cali. Hen Sen gives money to Pin Chamnan to take care of this daughter.
Wow....thanks Mark Smith for this info...interesting article.
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