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The international media, carefully following the recent meeting
between Prime Minister Hun Sen and foreign donors, exploded in
disdain this week over an “annual ritual” repeated yet
again: Hun Sen promised to purge his government of corrupt
officials, pleaded for more aid, and was granted his wish, without
question, by the international donor community.
The decision comes directly after a slew of charges against the
Cambodian government in a stining report published by Global
Witness, which includes evidence of illegal logging and severe
human rights violations.
Dissident blog KI Media, citing a recent article in
The Economist, noted Hun Sen’s insistence that he can
receive aid from donor behemoth China, regardless of what other
governments request.
Hun Sen reminds western donors that if they get too demanding,
he can always rely on China to provide soft loans without strings.
The big oil revenues that Cambodia will start earning in the next
few years will also reduce foreign donors’ leverage, laments
Mr Illes.
Time Magazine ran a similar piece critical of both the
Cambodian government and its donors. It, too, was cited on KI
Media. And, similarly, oil was a key concern.
Further diluting international influence is the potential of oil
and gas revenues to transform Cambodia’s still largely
agrarian economy. Two years ago, Chevron announced the discovery of
offshore oil reserves in Cambodia. If natural-resources dollars do
start flowing in 2010, as some expect, the country may for the
first time enjoy a major revenue source that could help it stand on
its own feet.
Yet, in countries like Nigeria, oil money has only served to enrich
a tiny minority while leaving the rest of the country impoverished.
And the alternate source of income may only make it more difficult
for Western efforts to tie aid to improved Cambodian
governance.
Details are Sketchy cited the same article, but
emphasized donors’ tendency to “save face” and
stroke their egos when delegating funds. International aid to
Cambodia has little to do with helping people, the blogger
protests, but rather with big politics.
The spring of this cruel fate, it seems, is as simple as it is
cynical: ego. Rich countries like to make themselves feel good by
giving money to poor countries. Whether that money actually makes
it into the hands of people who need it, or just gets pocketed by
corrupt politicians and their corporate cronies, appears to make
little difference. It’s the thought that counts.
The Cambodian blogosphere, strangely silent on politics, did not
have much else to say recently. KI Media and Details are
Sketchy — two of Cambodia’s most heavily charged
political blogs — continued to follow suit this week with
their sharp commentary.
Source: Global
Voices - Geoffrey Cain
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