Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 05 November 2009
(Posted by CAAI News Media)
A Government spokesman on Wednesday rejected criticism over the defense budget for 2010, which is up to US$277 million from US$223 million in 2009.
The statement comes after some NGOs expressed dissatisfaction with the Government's increased spending on the army compared to agriculture and rural development.
The Government has approved a 24 percent increase in defense spen- ding, an approval made while Cambodia has ongoing border disputes with Thailand.
Ou Virak, Cambodian Human Right Center president, said that military spending was not balanced with agriculture or rural development, which received around a 5 percent budget increase.
Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith brushed aside such critics. "Do they wish Cambodia's soldiers to fight with Thailand using sling shots?" he asked. "When our soldiers wore flip flops and used old guns, they said that the Government did not pay attention, but when we turn to support the soldiers, then they said like this."
"The Government does not ignore other sectors, but we would like to reduce some spending," Khieu Kanh- arith told DAP News Cambodia on Wednesday. "As Thailand realizes Cambodia has missile-fired weapons and modern guns, they do not encroach illegally anymore." Ou Virak confirmed that he supported more military spending but suggested the Government focus on reducing so-called 'ghost soldiers' to provide more money to real and well-trained soldiers. The Government spend more on agriculture and rural development sector, he added.
Mu Sochua, an opposition Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker, declined to comment, saying she wanted to first examine the budget in detail.
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