The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 548
“The Asian Development Bank [ADB] publicly announced in the morning of last Monday that it will contribute to rehabilitate a portion of the Khmer railway of around 652 kilometers from Banteay Meanchey to Phnom Penh with a grant of US$73 million, including a loan of US$43 million from the ADB. Some observers warned that with this huge amount of money, if there is no close and proper monitoring, this money is just a piece of meat that is thrown into the tigers’ mouth without serving the interests of the Khmer country and people.
“According to Mr. Sun Chanthol, the Minister of Public Works and Transport, in the US$73 million package, the loan of the ADB is US$43 million, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Counties [OPEC] contributes US$13 million, the Malaysian government shares US$2.8 million, and the Cambodian government contributes US$15.2 million.
“Mr. Kuroda Haruhiko, the president of the ADB, is proud of this project.
“Referring to Mr. Sun Chanthol, a part of the railway from Svay Sisophon in Banteay Meanchey to Phnom Penh had been repaired one time in 1929. Based on the present project, the rehabilitated railway will be able to load from 15 to 20 tons, and the trains can run with a speed of 50 kilometers per hour.
“The announcement of yesterday on the rehabilitation of the Khmer railway infrastructure is part of an agreement which was already approved by the ASEAN Transport Ministers’ Meeting last year. It is a project which will lead to have the railways of ASEAN nations connected with each other.
“According to Minister of Public Works and Transport Sun Chanthol, who had joined the 13th ASEAN Transport Ministers’ Meeting in Singapore on 1-2 November 2007, with the grants of US$80 million from ADB and OPEC, Cambodia will begin the railway construction project of 48 kilometers, connecting Svay Sisophon with Poipet at the Siam-Khmer border, and from Siam [Thailand] the railway will continue to some other ASEAN countries, totaling around 5,000 kilometers, a project which was approved in 1995.
“Mr. Sun Chanthol continued that Cambodia will also connect 257 kilometers of railway with Yuon [Vietnam], which will cost around US$500 million. The big package of US$80 million that Cambodia will receive from the ADB will, according to Mr. Sun Chanthol, be used only for connecting 48 kilometers of local railway from Serei Saophoan to Poipet, including the repair of the very old railway, which is more than 40 years old.
“However, currently it is difficult to see any benefit from the railway supported by foreign loans. Quite to the contrary, the money flows to support family members’ lives of Mr. Sok An of the Council of Ministers.
“The Cambodian Royal Railway is managed by Sokhom Pheakakvoan Muny, known to be a nephew of Minister Sok An of the Council of Ministers; until now there is no report about income from railway services.
“There are two railway lines, one from Phnom Penh to Battambang, and another one from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, but there are no more crowds of people like before, when also goods were actively transported, but unfortunately, the benefits from the present services do not improve the railway staff’s living conditions, nor were they transparently shown. It was only seen that the general director of the Royal Railways quietly bought one more villa and changed to new cars.
“This makes some staff and workers think that their daily work seems not to contribute to the improvement of the living conditions of the society and of themselves. It seems they are just working as slaves for Sokhom Pheakakvoan Muny.
“The Royal Railway staff and workers’ past pain appeared visibly in strong protests. But because Sokhom Pheakakvoan Muny is a relative to Mr. Sok An, the Royal Railway staff’s protest is meaningless, and nobody can help them.
“At this time the preparation to connect the railway with other countries in ASEAN seems like trying to carry water in a leaking jar, if the leader of the Cambodian Royal Railway does not change.
“It is to be noted that today in Cambodia, there are many powerful men in the government who take advantage to use state properties to serve their own interests. Some leaders of the Public Works Department use state machinery, like trucks, to serve their own pockets, and Sokhom Pheakakvoan Muny takes advantage of the state’s train for his own benefit.
“Many materials of the state, equipment that was bought by using the national budget, are used in a way that really destroys the nation, and this brings no benefit to the country.” Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.2, #112, 19.2.2008
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
Chakraval, Vol.16, #2755, 19.2.2008
- [South] Korean Government Provides Eleven Ambulances to the Royal Government of Cambodia [Koh Santepheap says 20 ambulances]
- Smuggled Goods Imported through Phnom Proek Border Crossings, Battambang; Border Crossing Chiefs, Customs Officer Chiefs, and Police Chiefs Happy to Collect Money [bribes and extortion]
Chuoy Khmer, Vol.2, #46, 19.2.2008
- Citizens of Three Villages of Chi Kha Leu Commune, Srae Ambel [Koh Kong] Blocked National Road 48, Demanding Hun Sen Stop [oknha and senator from the Cambodian People’s Party] Ly Young Phat from Land Grabbing
- Thailand Returned 105,000 [illegal] Cambodian Laborers in 2007; the Number Is Bigger Than in 2006
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1571, 19.2.2008
- Table with Slogan of Gandhi’s “Seven Sins” [carved in marble] Inaugurated [by the municipality of Phnom Penh]
- Cambodia Reconstructs Old and Damaged Railways
- Oknha Try Heng [advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen] Announced the Appointment of Nearly 2,000 Group Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the Cambodian People’s Party in the Kokir Commune [Kien Svay, Kandal]
- Mam Sonando [Director of Sambok Khmum Radio] Mediates Meeting of Three Parties [Sam Rainsy Party, Human Rights Party, and Norodom Ranariddh Party]
- 200 Workers [of Tonga Garment Factory] Expelled by House Owners Because They Do Not Have Money to Pay their Rents [Dangkao, Phnom Penh]
- A Police Official of the Anti-Terrorist Department at the Ministry of Interior Had His Hands and Legs Tied and Was Shot in the Neck from Behind [by unknown people – his diamond ring, phone, and watch were stolen – 18 February – Mukh Kampul, Kandal]
- [Female] Singer Meng Keopechda Sues [TV5 producer] Char Rithy, Demanding $22,000 Compensation [for canceling an appointment for a concert in Siem Reap]
- Suicide Bombing Killed 80 People in Afghanistan [17 February]
- Nearly 1,000 People Died from Cold Weather in Afghanistan [last weekend]
- Two Boys Died from Bird Flu in Indonesia
Gandhi’s “Seven Sins”Wealth without work.
Pleasure without conscience.
Knowledge without character.
Commerce without morality.
Science without humanity.
Worship without sacrifice.
Politics without principle.
Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.2, #112, 19.2.2008
- Asian Development Bank Puts Meat in Tiger’s Mouth over Arrangement of Railways
- Mr. Yim Sovann [Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian from Phnom Penh] Has No Hope that Anti-Corruption Law Can Be Made, Because It Is Connected to the Ruling Party
Koh Santepheap, Vol.41, #6275, 19.2.2008
- Japan Provides US$861,986 as Aid to Cambodian Mine Action Center in Battambang
- South Korea Provides 20 Ambulances and Office Supplies to Cambodia [Chakraval says 11 ambulances]
Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.15, #3391, 19.2.2008
- Illegal Logging in Kratie Increases Enormously
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4519, 19.2.2008
- Krom Preah [Prince Ranariddh] Asks Sam Rainsy Again to Hold Hands with Each Other While Sam Rainsy Has Internal Problems
- [South] Korea Builds Animal Food Factory in Kompong Speu [through SCF Feed company – Internet information with pictures is only in Korean, but there are several further links which also have Korean and English information about agricultural research, production, and commerce]
Samleng Yuvachun Khmer, Vol.15, #3251, 19.2.2008
- Cambodian People’s Party Plans to Bring [Cambodian factory] Workers and All Students Abroad To Cambodia to Vote [according a “reliable source”]
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