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Phnom Penh - The British non-governmental organization Global Witness said Tuesday that foreign donors must pressure the Cambodian government to deliver meaningful reform in the face of "gross mismanagement" of the country's natural resources.
"The Cambodian government has been promising to reform for years, but nothing had changed," said Gavin Hayman, the group's campaigns director.
Donor nations were scheduled to meet in Phnom Penh Wednesday and Thursday to discuss pledges. Last year, they provided almost 1 billion dollars in assistance, around half Cambodia's annual budget.
Finance Minister Keat Chhon said in April that he expected donor pledges to match or exceed last year's sum.
In a statement released to coincide with this week's meeting, Global Witness, which monitors natural resource exploitation, claimed evidence of widespread corruption and mismanagement of public funds.
Donor nations' "money props up the basic functions of the state, leaving an elite free to exploit the state's assets for personal profit and gain further power," Hayman said.
"Taxpayers rightly expect development aid to be spent on genuine poverty reduction rather than underwriting corruption and state failure," he said.
Cambodia is ranked as one of the most corrupt countries by the anti-graft monitor Transparency International, which last year placed the country near the bottom of its annual Corruption Perceptions Index.
Government spokesman Prak Sokhonn declined to comment on the statement by Global Witness, but last week, Prime Minister Hun Sen lashed out at the group, a regular critic of his government, describing the organization as "a group of thieves."
The opposition Sam Rainsy Party acknowledged some progress had been made in health, education and child protection since the last donor meeting in December 2008 but highlighted problems with land disputes and evictions.
"Titling of land must be increased, and a moratorium on evictions and arrests should be implemented until all land is formally adjudicated according to the law," the party said
"The Cambodian government has been promising to reform for years, but nothing had changed," said Gavin Hayman, the group's campaigns director.
Donor nations were scheduled to meet in Phnom Penh Wednesday and Thursday to discuss pledges. Last year, they provided almost 1 billion dollars in assistance, around half Cambodia's annual budget.
Finance Minister Keat Chhon said in April that he expected donor pledges to match or exceed last year's sum.
In a statement released to coincide with this week's meeting, Global Witness, which monitors natural resource exploitation, claimed evidence of widespread corruption and mismanagement of public funds.
Donor nations' "money props up the basic functions of the state, leaving an elite free to exploit the state's assets for personal profit and gain further power," Hayman said.
"Taxpayers rightly expect development aid to be spent on genuine poverty reduction rather than underwriting corruption and state failure," he said.
Cambodia is ranked as one of the most corrupt countries by the anti-graft monitor Transparency International, which last year placed the country near the bottom of its annual Corruption Perceptions Index.
Government spokesman Prak Sokhonn declined to comment on the statement by Global Witness, but last week, Prime Minister Hun Sen lashed out at the group, a regular critic of his government, describing the organization as "a group of thieves."
The opposition Sam Rainsy Party acknowledged some progress had been made in health, education and child protection since the last donor meeting in December 2008 but highlighted problems with land disputes and evictions.
"Titling of land must be increased, and a moratorium on evictions and arrests should be implemented until all land is formally adjudicated according to the law," the party said
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