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#TeamEurope Supports Cambodia in Coronavirus Crisis
Original Source: EU Cambodia, Brussels, 11/06/2020 – 11:43, UNIQUE ID: 200611_3Press releases
As part of the global efforts to support partner countries around the world, Team Europe* is mobilizing 443 million euros in grants and loans to work with Cambodia in fighting the global covid-19 pandemic, and mitigate its socio-economic effects.
Team Europe is the combined effort of the European Union, its Member States and their financial institutions and implementing agencies. Together, they provide significant financial and technical support to help Cambodia address immediate needs, protect the most vulnerable, mitigate the socio-economic impact of the coronavirus crisis and prepare for recovery. In Cambodia, Team Europe works together with its European partner Switzerland.
All Team Europa programs and projects contribute to enhancing democratic principles, promoting and protecting human rights and strengthening gender equality.
The EU Ambassador to Cambodia Ms Carmen Moreno said: “The coronavirus pandemic demands cooperation and solidarity. Team Europe stands together with Cambodia in these challenging times. We have to work together to ensure a sustainable and strong economic recovery, and to help mitigate the impact of this pandemic on human lives, jobs and livelihoods. To this purpose, we combine our resources and join efforts with the Government, the people of Cambodia and civil society, in response to this global challenge”.
The support of the European partners to Cambodia focuses on three essential priorities, in line with the country COVID-19 Master Plan.
In Supporting health, Team Europecontributes to expand research and testing capacities in Cambodia, supports the implementation of the COVID-19 National Action Plan and strengthens the health system. European partners are reinforcing and reorienting their programs on nutrition as well as hygiene, access to clean water and sanitation, to be more responsive to the pandemic needs. Team Europe strongly supports the World Health Organisation and contributes to finance its programs in Cambodia.
At a time when jobs, livelihoods and food security are in danger, European partners contribute to support people, livelihoods and employment; reaching out to the most vulnerable population through social protection programs, scholarships, improved access to education, assistance to workers and returned migrants. Team Europe’s programs sustain livelihoods through aquaculture and fisheries, rural infrastructures development and they contribute to address the challenges related to microfinance crisis management.
Europe will work with Cambodia to support economic recovery and job creation. Team Europe support will contribute to strengthen key areas of the economy and involve public investments for economic development, energy efficiency and green recovery. European programs and projects will contribute to build resilience in the private sector and to support job creation, to ensure a robust recovery and a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient economy, in keeping with the Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement
This EURO 443 million support (equivalent to USD 483 million and KHR 1,990 billion) combining new allocations, funds already programmed and redirected funds, is channelled through the Royal Government institutions and partner organisations, including civil society organisations.
* Team Europe stands for the EU and its Member States. In Cambodia they are joined by our European partner, Switzerland.
Encl. Team Europe Infographic:
EU COVID-19 Response Cambodia Data.pdf
Team Europe Development Assistance to Cambodia.pdf
CNRP Statement on Hun Sen dictatorship leadership has stagnated Cambodia democracy and economy
February 27, 2020
The Cambodian People do not allow Hun Sen to destroy the Cambodian economy.
After the abolition of Cambodia democracy, Hun Sen has been in the process of destroying the economy. The destruction of both: the political democracy and the national economy in which these two factors are original interdependent, Hun Sen has a single reason is the desire to maintain his personal lifetime power.
Two grave mistakes Hun Sen has made are political democracy and national economy. The most serious political mistake in this case is the dissolution of Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in 2017 aiming to preempt the CNRP from participating in the 2018 national election. The dissolution of the CNRP is a killing of democracy because without having a strong oposition party, democracy is totally dead. Everyone knows that without CNRP as opposition party, no other party is credible. Hun Sen’s ultimate decision to dissolve CNRP has triggered the international community especially the European Union reacted swiftly as EU has essential role and obligation to safeguard democracy and human rights in Cambodia. One of the EU’s urgent reactions is to suspend the trade preference named “everything but arm” (EBA) scheme in which has resulted in grave economic slow-down in Cambodia. Another mistake of Hun Sen is to associate with China and be fully dependent on China’s supports of economy development while EU and USA have sanctioned or have prepared more severe economy and trade sanctions over current Cambodia regime.
The latest is a similar case of the Pol Pot whose leadership was wholly depending on China to contain his grip on power, under the Khmer Rouge regime, in the 1970s.
For the economy mistake, Hun Sen has undertaken it since 25 years ago. This failure is caused by Hun Sen’s ignorance and uneducated mindset which has not based on skill, experience and vision to handle the national economy development.
Hun Sen has lacked self-education and does not understand the investment of providing education to the people for nation development, Hun Sen has spoiled the Cambodia education system with disorganized human resource management and low quality standard comparing to neighboring countries. Hun Sen has relied on garment factory economy solely which requires low techinical skill and workers receive low wage as well. More than this, Hun Sen has made garment industry exported to free world countries only such as Europe and USA by relying on monopolitic raw materials imported from China. Right now, both exporting destination countries and key source of raw materials have been facing uncertainty and shortfall impacted by the suspension of EBA and COVID-19 infection. The Coronavirus infection has troubled badly on China’s industry which has curtailed supply chain to Cambodia.
With above policy failure, Cambodia’s garment industry shall face severe crisis causing unemployment and livelihood of millions of Cambodian workers and their families.
Read More …EU agrees future human rights sanctions
Human rights abusers worldwide are to face EU asset freezes and travel bans under new-model sanctions agreed by foreign ministers in Brussels Monday. “Today, the EU unanimously decided to legislate a worldwide EU human rights sanction regime,” Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok said. The EU foreign service will put forward a legal proposal following Monday’s deal, with diplomats predicting it will take six months before the measures enter into force.
សហភាពអឺរ៉ុបយល់ស្របផែនការណ៍ដាក់ទណ្ឌកម្មបុគ្គលរំលោភសិទ្ធិមនុស្សពេលអនាគត
បុគ្គលរំលោភសិទ្ធិមនុស្សជុំវិញពិភពលោកនឹងប្រឈមការបង្កកទ្រព្យនិងហាមឃាត់ទិដ្ឋាការសហគមអឺរ៉ុបក្រោមច្បាប់ដាក់ទណ្ឌកម្មថ្មីយល់ស្របដោយរដ្ឋមន្ត្រីការបរទេសក្នុងទីក្រុងប្រុសសែលកាលពីថ្ងៃចន្ទ៖ ថ្ងៃនេះសហគមអឺរ៉ុបបានសម្រេចជាឯកច្ឆន្ទបង្កើតច្បាប់របបដាក់ទណ្ឌកម្មសិទ្ធិមនុស្សអឺរ៉ុបនៅជុំវិញពិភពលោក នេះបើតាមប្រសាសន៍របស់រដ្ឋមន្ត្រីការបរទេសហូរឡង់។ ក្រសួងសេវ៉ាកម្មការបរទេសអឺរ៉ុបនឹងដាក់សំណើរផ្លូវច្បាប់ទៅតាមការសម្រេចកាលថ្ងៃចន្ទជាមួយទូតទាំងអស់ដោយអាចនឹងប្រើពេល៦ខែមុនវិធានការណ៍ចូលជាធរមាន។
For your reference: EU Observer
Cambodia: The Interpreter, Playing the long game against Hun Sen
Op-Ed: Cambodia: Playing
the long game
against Hun Sen
European Union pressure
is working, and revoking
trade preferences might
allow Cambodians to
escape dynastic rule.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen at the Future of Asia Conference, Tokyo, 30 May 2019 (Photo: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images) Published 26 Nov 2019 12:30
To the casual observer, it may appear that Cambodian strongman Hun Sen is letting up, undoing some recent repression. This month, Hun Sen released Kem Sokha, the founder and co-leader of the main opposition party, after more than two years of house arrest, days later also ordering the release of more than 70 opposition activists arrested for “plotting to overthrow the government”.
These moderate relaxations are a direct response to European Union pressure, despite ruling party rhetoric suggesting the opposite. Since February 2019, the EU, citing “a deterioration of democracy [and] respect for human rights”, has been moving towards revoking Cambodia’s membership in the Everything But Arms (EBA) trade scheme, which allows the duty-free export of certain goods – textiles, footwear, and agricultural products – to Europe. The bloc will issue its final decision in February 2020. Cambodia, if removed, will experience what one analysis described as “a decline that could send the sector into free-fall and impact on the livelihoods of millions of Cambodians.” Meanwhile, the US Senate is considering a bill that would revoke Cambodia’s membership in Washington’s own preferential trade scheme.
Elders generally credit
Hun Sen with delivering
Cambodia from the
Khmer Rouge period,
but young people do
not feel as if they owe
him anything, instead
blaming him for the
state of the economy,
along with lagging
development and corruption.
Hun Sen is a skilled maneuverer, doing just enough over the years to satisfy the West, which in turn helps prop up Cambodia’s economy, imbuing him with some much-needed legitimacy. He has a long history of making short-term concessions, only to roll them back soon after, rather than implement any real change. This is perhaps best evidenced by his cynical treatment of Sokha, who despite being “free” is still banned from politics, and set to be put on trial for treason.
Western efforts have yet to bring about the peaceful, inclusive, and democratic Cambodia promised by the 1991 Paris Peace Accords. The US and Europe have struggled to counter Hun Sen effectively, instead seeking his cooperation on issues of mutual concern, hoping to keep Cambodia at least vaguely in the Western sphere of influence. But now, with Cambodia a codified one-party state deeply in China’s pocket – and Hun Sen lashing out against the EU – the West needs a new future-focused strategy, one that holds the Cambodian government accountable for human rights violations and other breaches. As a first step, Brussels and Washington should revoke their respective preferential trade statuses for Cambodia.
Read More …