Ananth Baliga | Publication date 22 February 2018 | 12:41 ICT
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Cambodia was perceived to be the most corrupt country in Asean and ranked 164 out of 180 countries globally, according to a new corruption index. Pha Lina
A global corruption perception index has ranked Cambodia 161st out of 180 countries, with the report specifically pointing to weak press freedoms and NGO protections as facilitators of graft – issues that commentators have repeatedly raised as concerns in the Kingdom.
The Corruption Perception Index was released by Transparency International earlier today and ranks countries based on perceived levels of public sector corruption, with Cambodia dropping five places from last year to rank near the bottom of the Asia-Pacific region. It was ranked below all Asean member states for the third year in a row.
Singapore was the top-ranked Asean state for least perceived corruption, at sixth place worldwide. Just above Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos rounded out the bottom three, at 130th and 135th place, respectively, in the 10-member regional bloc.
An analysis of the report by the authors reveals that countries’ failure to protect journalists and the obstruction of NGOs meant they were more prone to corruption.
“Further analysis of the results indicates that countries with the least protection for press and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also tend to have the worst rates of corruption,” the report reads.
The Kingdom embarked on a government crackdown in the last six months that has seen not only the dissolution of the primary opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, but also heightened pressure on NGOs and the closure of many independent media outlets.
Last year, two Radio Free Asia journalists and an independent filmmaker were arrested on "espionage" charges, the fiercely independent Cambodia Daily newspaper was forced to close after being slapped with a $6.3 million tax bill and more than a dozen independent radio stations were taken off the air.
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