Ambassadorfs Chat No.3
January 24, 2002
Although it is a little bit late,
since this is my first gchath this year, I would like to express my sincere
wish that the New Year 2002 will be a good and happy one for every one of you
and the world be a safer and prosperous one.
LOOKING BACK TO THE YEAR 2001 IN CAMBODIA:
A YEAR OF PROGRESS
I have lived and closely observed
developments in this country for the past year. I think I can reasonably say
that there have been substantial progresses politically, economically and
socially and I would like to congratulate the Government and people of Cambodia
for their efforts and achievements.
Peace and security situation
improved and political stability was reasonably well maintained despite some
deplorable incidents in relation to the commune elections.
To tell the truth, earlier in the
year, I was somewhat worried about the slow progress in the reforms undertaken by the Royal Government of
Cambodia over which donor community expressed concern. But I was happy to see
concrete results gradually showed up in the latter half of the last year. I
think, in particular, of the accomplishment of the full-scale demobilization of
15,000 soldiers ( I attended the last ceremony of demobilization in late
December in Kampong Thom ), progress in administrative reforms and forestry
management, as well as steady preparations for the commune elections. I
consider that these reforms contain complex elements and very difficult to
carry out. But the Government pursued efforts with great determination and
achieved substantial results. This is very important for Japan because our
assistance must be accountable to the Japanese tax payers and thus depends on
the attitude of the recipient government and results obtained.
Of course problems remain and there are a lot more things to
be done in the area of "governanceh. But even those areas where reform efforts
have been delayed such as the judiciary reform, Prime Minister Hun Sen has been
trying to make things go forwards. Incidentally, on such matters
as the control of smuggling or over-loading of large trucks which cause various
negative consequences on the development efforts in Cambodia. For instance,
smuggling not only reduces government revenues and encourages corruption but it
also inflicts losses to honest investors who produce things and pay taxes on
their products with the result that their products are not competitive vis-à-vis
smuggled products. Actually this is the case for a Japanese company which
produces tin sheets in Phnom Penh. Smuggling thus discourages much needed
foreign direct investment and undermines Cambodiafs development. Overloading is
not only a problem of regulation but it seriously damages fragile roads and
bridges and makes them vulnerable to floods and thus renders the repair cost
enormously high. In my field trips, I have often seen with my own eyes rampant
passages of overloaded trucks running uncontrolled. My government would not
extend assistance for the rehabilitation of roads and bridges unless it is controlled
appropriately. I appreciate that Samdech Hun Sen, who is conscious of these
issues, recently gave strong directives to control overloading.
I hope the year 2002 will see
further improvement in governance issues and greater progress in reform
efforts.
JAPANESE
PRIME MINISTERfS VISIT TO ASEAN COUNTRIES
Prime Minister Koizumi recently
made a tour of some ASEAN countries. At the last leg of his trip in Singapore
on January 14, he made an important policy speech on Japanfs ASEAN policy. By
the way, have you ever heard about (the then) Prime Minister Fukudaes ASEAN
speech of 1977? Maybe not, because
it was a period of great difficulty in Cambodia. Anyway, it was perhaps the
first time that a Japanese prime minister enunciated clearly the Japanfs post-war
policy orientation towards Asia. Mr. Fukuda declared in Manila that Japan would
never become a military power and, while considering ASEAN countries as equal
partners, would work together with them for their development based on the gheart-to-heart
understandingh. In fact this speech has become the solid policy guideline upon
which Japan intensified its efforts to assist the development of ASEAN
countries in the subsequent quarter of a century. Mr. Koizumi was an avid
follower of Mr. Fukudafs political doctrine. Strongly convinced of the
righteousness of Mr. Fukudafs Manila declaration, Mr. Koizumi this time tried
to further develop the policy orientation of his former political master in the
light of the present global and ASEAN situation.
Thus, he declared that Japan, as
sincere and open partner, will act together and advance together in partnership
with ASEAN countries, that Japan will be a friend in need for ASEAN and
reiterated that Japan will never become a military power. He also proposed initiatives
for future Japan-ASEAN cooperation in the following five areas;
- Education and human resources development
- To designate 2003 the Year of Japan-ASEAN Exchange
- An Initiative for Japan-ASEAN Comprehensive Economic
Partnership
- An Initiative for Development in East Asia
- Japan and ASEAN security
cooperation, including transnational issues @
Direct implications of Mr.
Koizumifs new ASEAN policy for Cambodia will become clearer as my Government
translates it into concrete measures in the near future. But at this early
stage, I may say that it will produce favorable effects in that it will maintain
or strengthen present cooperative relations between our two countries
especially in human resources development, various forms of exchange and
development assistance.
AFGHANISTAN, CAMBODIA and JAPAN
On January
21 and 22, the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to
Afghanistan was held in Tokyo at the initiative of the Japanese Government. It
was a quite successful conference in that the international community pledged a
substantial amount of assistance to support the reconstruction of this war-torn
country.
Although there are a lot of differences between Cambodia and
Afghanistan, yet there exist a number of similarity in the circumstances in
which these two countries find themselves; both Cambodia and Afghanistan
underwent bitter experiences of internal war and must walk a long road of
national reconciliation and the physical rehabilitation of the devastated land,
burdened by the existence of a large number of refugees and a huge quantity of
mines. Rebuilding of destroyed infrastructures, alleviation of poverty and many
other challenges facing the Afghan people are those which Cambodian people have
been struggling and must continue to overcome. Sustained and concerted
assistance by the international community and the self-help efforts of the
Afghan people themselves are the only way to alleviate the suffering of the
nation.
Prime Minister Hun Sen suggested that Cambodiafs offer to
assist Afghanistan efforts of demining. Although topographical differences must
be taken into consideration, I highly commend the Prime Ministerfs willingness
to make an international contribution for Afghanistan. Japan has been assisting
demining activities of Cambodia and is willing to do the same in Afghanistan.
Japan was actively involved in the international efforts to
establish peace in Cambodia in the late 1980fs and contributed to
obtaining Paris Peace Accords. My government continued to participate in the
process of stabilization and reconstruction of Cambodia until today. Based on
this experience and encouraged by the positive outcome in Cambodia, Japanese
Government hosted the Tokyo conference on Afghanistan. As a witness of the
Cambodian experience, I personally take pride in our recent initiatives taken
by our Government under the difficult economic and budgetary situation. It will
be a long path to go, but we firmly believe reconstruction and development lead
to peace stability, whether in Cambodia or in Afghanistan.
@
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