| Original report from Phnom Penh 31 October 2008 |
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| Supporters say the Vietnam War record of John McCain, above, gives them confidence in his foreign policy for the region. |
McCain, a Republican, and Obama, a Democrat, are locked in a heavily contested campaign, and despite a slight lead in the polls for Obama as the Nov. 4 election date approaches, the race remains in the hands of “undecided” voters.
At least one BBC poll suggests that world opinion is with Obama, but in
Kan Sichanto, 38, a staff member of a
“John McCain has more experience in politics, security and foreign affairs and the economy for
Uch Sarak Chetha, 49, who owns a transportation company in the capital and is following the
“John McCain will take care of the Indochinese, in his former battlefield, more than other presidents,” he said.
McCain has a better policy for counterterrorism, he said.
Even if McCain enjoys wide support here, he has not won over every Cambodian voter.
Roern Sarun, 22, a student of media at
“I prefer Barack Obama over John McCain, because Barack Obama has demonstrated clear policies to reform the economy and
Moung Nareth, 34, who works as a translator for various organizations, said the word “change” in Obama’s campaign had attracted him to the cause of the Democrats this year.
“But I have doubts. If Obama wins the election, his foreign policy will be softer,” Moung Nareth said. “It can endanger the national and global security. But I believe the way to solve the security and terrorism [issues] is to demand more experience in security for Barack Obama.”
| Written by CHEANG SOKHA AND THET SAMBATH | |
| Monday, 27 October 2008 From Phmon Penh Post  Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN Prime Minister Hun Sen greets National Police Chief Hok Lundy upon his return Sunday afternoon from Beijing. PRIME Minister Hun Sen emerged from Friday's border talks with his Thai counterpart, Somchai Wongsawat, in good spirits but with little real progress having been made on resolving a three-month-old military standoff over disputed territory, officials said Sunday. Both sides did agree to try to prevent a repeat of the deadly October 15 shootout near Preah Vihear temple that brought the two sides dangerously close to open conflict. "The prime ministers' meeting was very friendly and they agreed to avoid further clashes among the military stationed along the border," said Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh, who also attended the meeting held on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting in Beijing. "And again we have increasing cooperation and negotiation in all sectors," he added. Cambodian and Thai commanders holding talks in Siem Reap last week also helped ease tensions, participants said. "This meeting couldn't solve the problem of troop withdrawals. We just tried to work to prevent any clashes in future," said Sok Pheap, chief of the Cambodia-Thai relations office. The brief firefight earlier this month was the worst outbreak of violence since the standoff began in July. It sparked a further buildup of troops and equipment on both sides of the border, despite international pleas for calm and promises of more diplomacy from the Cambodian and Thai governments. Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said upon returning from China that the two sides will meet again on November 10 in Thailand for talks on demarcating the poorly defined border between the two countries. Tensions flared in July shortly after the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple was listed as a Unesco World Heritage site, angering Thai nationalists who claim the ruins belong to Thailand. The temple sustained damage during the October 15 fighting, and officials said that the government has lodged a complaint with Unesco over the incident. "The Preah Vihear authority has sent reports and pictures of the damage to Unesco," Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said Sunday. |
Original report from Phnom Penh
27 October 2008
The government is seeking to increase the 2009 budget for the Ministry of Defense to $500 million, nearly 70 percent more than the year before, a finance lawmaker confirmed Monday.
The border standoff that began at Preah Vihear temple, above, has made defense spending a top priority for the government.
The increase in defense spending, which the government had sought to reduce in recent years, comes as a sometimes violent military standoff with Thailand continues.
The standoff has made national defense a top priority for the government, said Cheam Yiep, head of the National Assembly's finance committee, and a member of the Cambodian People's Party.
The armed forces need a proper military base, improved wages and health care, better uniforms and better training, he said.
The money for the extra spending would come from a budgetary reserve, Cheam Yiep said.
However, opposition Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay said Monday the reserve budget should not be depleted for improving the military. The reserve budget was designed for emergencies such as natural disasters, he said.
"I don't agree with the use of the reserve budget for national defense," he said.
The increased budget for the military will hurt Cambodia's growing economy, he said, citing the US's war with Iraq as an example.
Cambodia is a small country, with 40 percent of its people living in poverty, "so all of the annual budget should be taken care of and have proper evaluation before we send it to the National Assembly," Son Chhay said.
Officials at the Ministry of Economy and Finance declined to comment on the budget, which was proposed by the Ministry of Defense and must be folded into the full 2009 budget for parliamentary approval.
Kong Chandararoth, an economist and director of the Economic Development Institute, said he agreed with the defense increase.
Cambodia's national defense is not at international standards, "so we should increase the national budget" for defense, he said.
Cambodia's total annual budget was increasing every year, so an increase in the defense budget would be proper, he said.
The budget increase comes as the border standoff continues, despite a round of border talks by military commanders in Siem Reap last week and vows by the countries' two prime ministers to prevent further bloodshed.
Cambodia has complained that during a brief round of fighting earlier this month Thai soldiers damaged a corner of Preah Vihear temple, where adjacent land on a disputed border is at the heart of the military buildup.
Thailand issued a statement Monday denying it had fired at the temple and claiming Thai soldiers in the Oct. 15 fighting had been fired on by rockets and mortars, as well as rifles.
