Ka-set
By Ros Dina
19-02-2009
It is time to take urgent measures to save Cambodian farmers. That was the leitmotiv hammered on Wednesday February 18th during the press conference organised jointly by the two opposition parties in Cambodia, the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and the Human Rights Party (HRP), who recently established an alliance with the Democratic Movement for Change, at the SRP headquarters.
Crippled with debts following the slump in produce prices and unable to pay them back, farmers have increasingly been taken their property by banks. Kem Sokha, president of HRP, claims he has observed this trend himself during his visits to provinces in Cambodia.
Sam Rainsy called the government to guarantee a reasonable price to farmers, suspend their debts during the crisis and lower interest rates.
“The opposition has no power to give orders to financial bodies,” Kem Sokha highlighted. “But we can at least ask the government to take measures. They can do so if they really want to help farmers.” Otherwise, he added, Cambodia is at risk of a very serious social crisis.
The two opposition parties have also sent a letter, in the name of their alliance, to the government in January 2009, to recommend that 500 million dollars be made available to allow the sectors faced with difficulties in the Kingdom to overcome the international financial crisis.
Prime Minister Hun Sen responded that his government was already prepared to allocate a much higher sum to face the crisis. The head of government recalled among others that a contract of 18 million dollars – against 12 million dollars in 2008 – was signed with the Rural Development Bank (RDB) of Cambodia to assist rice cooperatives and maintain a purchase price that is stable and satisfactory for producers.
Also, Sam Rainsy explained during the press conference that he had sent a letter to the governments of various countries, including donor countries, to request that they condemn Cambodian high officials mentioned in the reports of non-governmental organisation Global Witness of June 2007, [“Cambodia's Family Trees
By Ros Dina
19-02-2009
It is time to take urgent measures to save Cambodian farmers. That was the leitmotiv hammered on Wednesday February 18th during the press conference organised jointly by the two opposition parties in Cambodia, the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and the Human Rights Party (HRP), who recently established an alliance with the Democratic Movement for Change, at the SRP headquarters.
Crippled with debts following the slump in produce prices and unable to pay them back, farmers have increasingly been taken their property by banks. Kem Sokha, president of HRP, claims he has observed this trend himself during his visits to provinces in Cambodia.
Sam Rainsy called the government to guarantee a reasonable price to farmers, suspend their debts during the crisis and lower interest rates.
“The opposition has no power to give orders to financial bodies,” Kem Sokha highlighted. “But we can at least ask the government to take measures. They can do so if they really want to help farmers.” Otherwise, he added, Cambodia is at risk of a very serious social crisis.
The two opposition parties have also sent a letter, in the name of their alliance, to the government in January 2009, to recommend that 500 million dollars be made available to allow the sectors faced with difficulties in the Kingdom to overcome the international financial crisis.
Prime Minister Hun Sen responded that his government was already prepared to allocate a much higher sum to face the crisis. The head of government recalled among others that a contract of 18 million dollars – against 12 million dollars in 2008 – was signed with the Rural Development Bank (RDB) of Cambodia to assist rice cooperatives and maintain a purchase price that is stable and satisfactory for producers.
Also, Sam Rainsy explained during the press conference that he had sent a letter to the governments of various countries, including donor countries, to request that they condemn Cambodian high officials mentioned in the reports of non-governmental organisation Global Witness of June 2007, [“Cambodia's Family Trees
”http://www.globalwitness.org/media_library_detail.php/546/en/cambodias_family_trees “Cambodia's Family Trees”, Global Witness report (EN)], and February 2009, “Country for Sale ”. The Cambodian opposition leader also asked them to deny visas to the persons incriminated or their families if they intend to travel to their country. In addition, he recommended that any property or account they might own in those countries be seized or frozen, and he called to an end to any business transaction with those having any involvement in the cases denounced by the environmentalist NGO.
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