Gov’t officials enabling traffickers, says Kheng

Editorial by School of Vice

Human trafficking, sand-dredging, deforestation [legal or otherwise], mass youth population loss resulting from lack of job opportunities at home, uncontrolled influx of Vietnamese settlers, widening gap between rich and poor, alarmingly high incidence of road traffic accidents killing and maiming hundreds of people each years [if not thousands], official corruption spreads like cancer, members of the political elite splash their wealth and cash on luxuries, from overseas estates to expensive foreign consumer imports which only millionaires can afford as if there's no tomorrow, violent crimes and domestic violence are equally rife, young and ill-educated women are lured into the sex-slave trade through promise of decent pay as "maids" and other risky ventures abroad, ...

These are the issues that any responsible government is expected to meet face-on, and this ruling regime and administration has had decades of time to deal with them, and yet this minister seems to think the same issues have only been brought to his attention since his last afternoon nap?

If you have power, use it constructively and to the betterment of all, and if you don't know how to tackle these issues, then seek help and expertise from sources who do, instead of devoting precious state resources and time to obstructing and jailing those who endeavour wholeheartedly to make a difference to this long-suffering nation.   

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Sar Kheng, deputy prime minister and minister of the interior, at a press conference in 2013. Heng Chivoan


Wed, 14 December 2016
Mech Dara
ppp

Interior Minister Sar Kheng this week said that he is aware there are government officials working with human traffickers in the sale of Cambodian people, and promised punishment should they fail to stop the practice and “change into good people”.

Kheng, who has over the past year acknowledged a number of grievous shortcomings in the government, said during a Sunday speech on trafficking on Phnom Penh’s Koh Pich island that the scourge of trafficking was being facilitated by the people who should be fighting it.

“The government officials who are creating problems, and conspiring with and cooperating with the human-trafficking offenders, or are involved in [any such] actions – even unintentionally – must withdraw themselves urgently and change into good people,” Kheng said. “You cannot hide doing these actions anymore, and you will be punished in compliance with the law.”

He did not say how the officials would be identified or punished, and Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak could not be reached. Keo Thea, head of the Phnom Penh police’s anti-trafficking unit, said his police were always looking for those involved in trafficking.

“We have been working very hard,” Thea said, adding he was not afraid Kheng was referring to corrupt trafficking police. “His remarks were not directed at any [particular] officers and referred to officers in general . . . He has warned all officials – both civil and the armed forces.”

CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann said Kheng was correct to say officials were involved in human trafficking but may in fact have underplayed the role that officials have in the lucrative business.

“They do not have links [to human traffickers] like small threads, they have links like rope as big as their ankles,” the opposition spokesman said. “This big rope requires huge reforms to change it.

“In the past, I have seen many remarks and laws, but there was no one listening or implementing it . . . and the problem has gotten bigger and bigger.”

Am Sam Ath, technical coordinator with rights group Licadho, said he welcomed Kheng’s speech but added that no officials would be scared of invovement in trafficking unless there were arrests.

“We want to see the authorities involved in human trafficking investigated and brought to justice. If they do not take action against them, they will not be scared and will continue to do it,” he said.