FOR DOCUMENTATION her to Fig NOT FOR SALE get ht C To o PURPOSES AMONG g rr n u i p PARTNERS ONLY k t r i o o n W Corruption Monitor Issue 9 - August 2008 Clean Monthly review of corruption-related stories in the Cambodian media THIS MONTH US OFFERS HELP IN INVestigation Ten of the eleven political parties OF MURDERED journalist participating in the Cambodian na- The US Embassy has condemned the nalist, Ngor Srun, a senior member of the tional election on July 27 promised slaying of Sam Rainsy Party-aligned Mo- Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and a civil society beforehand to pass the neaksekar Khmer newspaper reporter secretary of state for the Council of Min- long awaited anti-corruption law and his son and offered their assistance isters, was attacked with acid on Sun- within six months after being in of- in apprehending the murderers, news- day morning as he got into his car after fice. The only party that failed to re- papers reported July 15. having it repaired at a garage in Phnom ply to this request, the CPP, won the “The Federal Bureau of Investigation Penh, according to Koh Santepheap. elections according to the prelimi- (FBI), through the US Embassy, stands “Violent criminal acts such as these nary results with an overwhelming ready to provide assistance if requested can have a chilling effect on the media 73% of all votes, good for 90 seats at by the Cambodian government in inves- and risk undermining citizens’ confi- the National Assembly out of a total tigating the case,” according to a press dence in their ability to fully participate of 123. More than enough seats to release obtained from the embassy July in the electoral process in safety and continue this time without Funcinpec, 14, reported Rasmei Kampuchea. security,” the embassy said in the state- which has been reduced to two seats Khim Sambor, 47, and his son, Khat ment. only, as a new one party government. Sarintheada, 21, were shot to death The Cambodian Center for Inde- near Preaputh pagoda in Phnom Penh’s pendent Media (CCIM) stated that the The CPP does not even need the Prampi Makara district on July 11 by two government should accept responsibil- 2006 change of the Cambodian Con- unknown murderers after they retuned ity for the assassination as 12 journalists stitution to a 50 plus 1 percent major- from taking exercise at Olympic Stadi- have been killed since 1993. “Reporters ity formula system instead of a two um, wrote Moneaksekar Khmer. in Cambodia together with the govern- thirds. Civil society therefore now Lieutenant Khieu Sopheak, spokes- ment must be in charge of unmasking has to hold on to a statement one CPP person of the Ministry of Interior, told murderers and their supporters and lawmaker earlier made to media that Rasmei Kampuchea that the relevant bring them to justice,” the CCIM said. “the CPP will pass the law in the first authority is searching for the attackers “Failure to arrest murderers and year of the fourth mandate”. Corrupt and “if necessary we will ask for coop- their supporters is a severe threat to the activities in the fishery business are eration.” security of reporters and press freedom this month’s highlight on page 2. Two days after the attack on the jour- in the country,” the CCIM added. HUMAN RIGHTS Watch Award FOR Inflation, low SALARIES FORCE two CAMBODIAN Journalists teachers to EXtort MONEY Two Cambodian journalists, Chheang Bopha and Duong Sokha, In an interview with Tum Paeng Snong Russei maga- are among 34 writers from 19 countries to receive the Hellman/ zine, provincial teachers have shown their concern about Hammett writer’s award, which recognizes courage in the face of ongoing inflation and their small salaries, which force political persecution, Human Rights Watch’s website Human Rights them to extort money, even from the poorest students, to News reported July 22. make ends meet, Rasmei Kampuchea reported July 6. The Human Rights Watch grants are given annually to writers A teacher who declined to be named said that, on his around the world who have been targets of political persecution present salary, he can only afford 50 kg of rice, so he or human rights abuses. The grant program began in 1989 when must resort to extorting money from his students to sur- the American playwright Lillian Hellman willed that her estate be vive, rather than focusing on the quality of his teaching. used to assist writers in financial need as a result of expressing Another interviewed teacher made a plea to the Min- their views. istry of Education to pay his US$50 salary on time, and to “Chheang Bopha and Duong Sokha represent a small minor- the government to take immediate and effective action ity among Cambodia’s press corps who dare to challenge corrupt to lower soaring goods prices. and politically biased institutions through their writings and their “No other countries in the world have salaries of only actions,” said Sara Colm, senior Asia researcher at Human Rights 200,000 riel [about US$50] like we have here,” he said. Watch. “Our salary cannot keep pace with goods prices.” Bopha, 28, and Sokha, 27, worked as reporters at Cambodge Some teachers who live far from their schools com- Soir, Cambodia’s leading French language daily newspaper. They plained that their low salaries cannot keep up with the quit in 2007 to protest the dismissal of a colleague who was fired skyrocketing price of petrol, adding that, to cope with for writing about a report by Global Witness, an international en- the high prices, they have to marginalize their teaching vironmental organization that documented the alleged complicity careers, so they can then find extra work to augment of top government officials in illegal logging. their incomes. Striking Cambodian staff elected Sokha as their spokesperson Thong Boran, director of personnel at the Ministry of to demand that Cambodge Soir reinstate the fired journalist and Education, said that, since 2002, the government has in- Continued on page 2 creased civil servants’ salaries by 15 percent annually. No.9 • August 2008 Corruption Monitor Corruption & fishery puchea Thmey reported July 8. Anony- July 22. Kim Srun, a villager in the dis- mous sources claimed fishermen used trict, said Vietnamese fishermen were *Kien Chantha, deputy president banned fishing equipment, such as bat- using the illegal fishing equipment both of Stung Hav fishing community in Sih- tery-powered fishing equipment and day and night, but Cambodian fishery anoukville’s Stung Hav district, claimed dense netting, to fish. This has emptied officials did not try to prevent the illicit recently she received a threatening the usually abundant dyke of fish. The acts. Other residents said the Mekong phone call from Ny Vati, deputy chief sources also said a perpetrator identi- River would face a fish shortage if the of Stung Hav district’s Kampeign com- fied as San Sovann has already been unlawful fishing continues. Vai Kimri, an mune, after she had disclosed infor- arrested once by Anlung Veng police election official in Koh Sotin, said he is mation about corruption and collusion for using illegal fishing equipment, but not sure whether the authorities failed between traders and Vati to secretly sell later they released him for a US$150 to prevent the Vietnamese fishermen Stung Hav community fishing lots, VOD bribe. from illegally fishing because they were reported July 4. Chantha, whose posi- *Two senior officials from the Kam- busy with the election or because they tion and safety are now under threat, pong Cham Provincial Fisheries De- had been bribed by the Vietnamese. also claimed other people had been partment were accused of giving the *On June 30, thousands of villagers pressured by Vati, who declined to com- go-ahead to traders to truck banned in Chikreng district’s Anlung Samnor ment on the allegations. fish from Vietnam to the province be- commune in Siem Reap province re- *On National Fish Day, July 1, SRP fore further distribution in Phnom Penh, quested Oknha Sieng Nam’s interven- Secretary General Eng Chhay Eang Kampuchea Thmey reported July 10. tion to open a dyke in the commune criticized a report issued by the Minis- An anonymous official claimed that for which the commune authorities are us- try of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries every 15-20 tons of banned fish trans- ing to block a master canal in the area, regarding procedures to prevent fishery ported the traders must bribe the two Rasmei Kampuchea reported July 2. crimes. Eang said the procedures exist officials at least US$5,000, adding that if The residents complained that, as the ca- on paper, but they have never actually traders are transporting 20-40 tons of the nal is abundant with fish, traders bribed been implemented, RFA reported July 5. banned fish, they have to pay more than commune and district chiefs to close “Fisheries officials have been colluding US$10,000 to bribe officials stationed the dyke to catch fish. The villagers also with corrupt traders to destroy fish at along the route where the fish is being said they are facing a water shortage. their whim,” he said. Nao Thouk, direc- transported. Kampuchea Thmey could However, Anlung Samnor Commune tor of the Fisheries Department, said the not contact the two fishery officials for Chief Seng Yorn said the building of the government has tried its best to put an comment. dyke is in accordance with the plan de- end to fisheries crimes, but admitted re- *Villagers in Kampong Cham prov- signed by Chikreng district authorities.