September 14, 2001

Hello, everyone!

Thank you for opening our website and this page in particular. I have been in Cambodia for 9 months now. I find my job interesting and have been enjoying my life here tremendously.Ｉam beginning to feel like telling my impressions and observations I happen to have from time to time to some other people and that is why I decided to create this column to share my thoughts rather casually and in an informal manner with you. I do hope this is of some interest to you.

ABOUT MY DAILY LIFE

Since this is my first appearance in this page, let me tell you what I normally do as Ambassador of Japan in Cambodia. Well, perhaps the largest portion of my work here consists of activities related to our economic assistance to Cambodia.

For instance in the last 3 weeks, I attended the inauguration ceremony of a new school building constructed by a Japanese NGO and financed by the Japanese Government grant assistance called "KUSANONE" in Batheay in the Province of Kampong Cham. Since it is located in a flood area, the school was built in the Cambodian traditional high floor style. Samdech Hun Sen and H.E. Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong kindly attended the opening of this unique school. Incidentally, I was given a helicopter ride by the Foreign Minister on the way to the school and by the Prime Minister on the way back. This permitted me to look at the flood situation in the Mekong area from the air. I was thus exposed to the reality of flood in Cambodia and I immediately asked Tokyo for emergency assistance for the flood victims. I am glad that this resulted in the hand-over ceremony of relief materials and financial assistance, which took place just this morning at the National Comittee for Disaster Management Headquarters. (The heavy rainfall caused a postponement of the inauguration of the "colmatage" irrigation facilities in Kandal Province completed under a Japanese grant aid program to which Samdech Hun Sen was planning to assist on 27th of August.)

On Augast21, I signed an Exchange of Note with H.E. Mr. Hor Nam Hong, which will provide scholarship to 20 young Cambodian Government officials engaged in development work to study in Japanese universities. This is a new scholarship program started last year for Cambodia. Speaking of scholarship, we have also traditional Japanese Government Scholarship program that offers scholarship opportunities for about thirty young Cambodian students every year. A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to interview a dozen of candidates for undergraduate studies in Japan and I was very impressed by the strong desire and enthusiasms of the young Cambodian students to work for the reconstruction of their country. I felt happy that my Government are able to help these young future leaders study in Japan.

Later in the same week, I signed six new contracts that awarded “Kusanone” financial assistance to the projects of different NGOs, Japanese, Cambodian and international, which work to help poor people.

I follow closely the preparations of the Commune election. And I attended an informal meeting organized by H.E. Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng on September 3rd to brief the international community about the progress. Japan will help Cambodia through various means such as financial contribution, human resources development and dispatch of experts as it proceeds to the election. I have been in contact with Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng and other Government officials to in dement our assistance.

This week, I made a four-day field trip to Pailin, Battanbang, Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap to observe the regional situation including preparations for the commune election.

So these are some of the works I did during the past couple of weeks in relation with economic cooperation to Cambodia.

Other than that, I met quite a few people both Cambodians and Japanese and attended meetings and events. My days are reasonably busy but overall, rewarding and often exciting.

ANTI-CORRUPTION POLEMIC AND JAPAN

On August 22 and 23, the Center for Social Development and the Asian Development Bank co-organized an international conference on "Building Coalition for Transparency" with the participation of Prime Minister Hun Sen in the opening session and Prince Norodom Ranarith in the closing session. I highly commend the organizers for their initiative to launch an international discussion on this very important theme. As many of you know, it was followed by a public polemic between US Ambassador Wiedman and Cambodian Government on the anti-corruption issue. In the meantime it was reported that a Cambodian high official had commented that Japan as the largest donor to Cambodia never criticized the Government on this issue. I consider this a big misunderstanding. I want to make it clear that the Japanese Government considers it vitally important to eradicate corruption. We watch the efforts of Cambodian Government very carefully.

Well I will continue my talks this way in the near future. Till then, good-by