US Ambassadorial Reflex
US Ambassador Talks About the Funan Techo Canal, Mekong River, Ream Naval Base, China, Soup and Media, Cyber Scams and the remains of US soldiers who fought against Cambodia and Vietnam
US Ambassador Talks About the Economy, Funding and Development
By Prak Chan Thul (Kiripost)
Ahead of the end of his five-year tenure as US Ambassador, Patrick Murphy speaks to Kiripost about a raft of key issues, ranging from economic development, US funding, relations between the two countries and some controversial developments.
Q: What are your insights for Cambodia's future potential in terms of economic development and social progress?
A: It must be acknowledged that Cambodia has covered a great distance, particularly from the early 1990s. The beginning of that process to end civil war and conflict, to engage the international community, to get help from the international community and be a responsible member of the architecture like ASEAN and the United Nations, and more. I'm truly impressed by the Cambodian people and their resilience in coming so far.
It's hard to recognise Cambodia, even from 15 or 20 years ago. It's a new country, and I'm very optimistic about the future. One of the great success stories of the last decade has been the economy, one of the fastest growing economies in the region and in the world. This is impressive. I think we've been part of the story, the United States. Our market is now Cambodia's largest export market by far. It's larger than the next five export markets combined.
Americans are enjoying and appreciating Cambodian products that go all the way to the United States, and I think there's potential for that to continue to grow. We hope that trade can also be valuable and impressive in both directions. So, as Cambodians become more prosperous, they consider buying American products and services, which I think many Cambodians believe have very high quality and high standards, for the economy to continue to grow.
However, we believe and we advise that it needs to be sustainable. Cambodia needs to protect its natural resources and continue to develop the economy in a sustainable fashion. That's going to take some hard work. We all have to work to combat climate change. But particularly in Cambodia, Cambodians need to continue to make efforts in tackling the erosion of natural resources, in land grabbing, in addressing the corruption that facilitates that and also protecting native species and natural resources and wildlife.
This is really important, and it's part of the economy. Also, I can add that investors, including from the United States, are looking for improvements in the business climate. Many American companies are already here. They're looking to come, but they want to see high standards.
They want to see a strong rule of law. They want to see transparency. They want to see continued even stronger efforts to tackle corruption, and I know the new government has a priority there, I want to see more and more of that.
American companies really value protecting the environment, high labour standards and making connections with local communities. Also, US business and business from other countries care about human rights and want to see Cambodians protected and having their voices. If Cambodia can make progress here, for example, finding freedom for Kem Sokha, a respected political figure, finding freedom for Seng Theary, who happens to be a dual US Cambodian citizen but a political activist, if they are able to have their liberties restored and become part of the political environment here again, that's going to help the relationship. US businesses will also see that it's a better environment with lower risk from consumers who are really focused on these kinds of issues.
Q: From your experience, what are some key areas where Cambodia's economy can improve and diversify?
A: That's already happening, and I encouraged Cambodia to continue its efforts to diversify. It's been made very well known to me that Cambodia needs more skilled labour. So we have programmes helping in science, technology, engineering and maths.
We have programmes in improving the digital workforce, and I encourage young Cambodians to consider these fields in addition to journalism, think also about digital, about technology. This is really needed for Cambodia to jump to the next level of economic development.
As I've noted earlier, transparency in contracting in bidding, so that there's well known knowledge about contracts and how they are achieved. Continuing these efforts to strengthen the rule of law and combat corruption is going to help with the economy, but your real resource is your people. Cambodian workers are terrific. That's why you have been doing so well.
So many companies come here to open factories and more. American companies like Coca Cola have very good success here. Ford Motor Vehicles has an assembly plant here, producing Ford cars and trucks that are very popular among the Cambodian people. Why are they doing this? It's because of Cambodian workers. They're very dedicated, they're very competent and they help with a fantastic workforce.
I experienced that at my own embassy. I’m very proud of our Cambodian workers. So, I think continuing to develop their skills, their capabilities, safety in the workplace and high standards is going to be good for the economy.
Q: Let's talk a little bit about young people. What advice do you have for young Cambodians who aspire to be involved in diplomacy or international relations?
A: First, I must say I really love Cambodian youth. I've been very inspired by them. I've been energised and I've really admired our great programmes working with young people at the embassy. I have something called the Ambassador's Youth Council, where young emerging leaders can advise me on what young people are thinking and doing, and they can also learn leadership opportunities to continue forward.
We have programmes like the Young Southeast Asian Leadership Initiative, where Cambodians go to the United States on Fulbright Scholarships, and other opportunities.
We have many great exchanges. We have a lot of English language instruction programmes here in Cambodia, including the Peace Corps. All 70 of our Peace Corps volunteers are in education, helping young Cambodians learn more English skills. We have Fulbright fellows and English teaching assistants. We have a programme called Access, helping disadvantaged high school students get an extra leg in learning English. This is really important because English has become the language of commerce, and diplomacy. So, to answer your question, I think there's no greater honour than representing one's country.
I've been doing it for 32 years and I'm proud every day to be an American diplomat. I encourage young people to consider this career, among many other options, representing Cambodia abroad.
You've asked some questions about Cambodia's image and Cambodia's engagement with the rest of the world. Diplomats get to do that, and you also get to work on a very wide array and diverse range of issues. On any given day you can be working on foreign assistance on nuclear technology, education, agriculture, combating crime and helping the world become a more stable, peaceful place. It's a very noble profession. I do encourage it among many options that young Cambodian people have.
Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced during your tenure? How did you navigate them?
A: When I reflect over the period here, five years, there have been challenges, but I also look at it this way. The challenges have been shared challenges between the United States and Cambodia. For example, the global pandemic, we needed to work together to help Cambodia succeed and, indeed, Cambodia was a success story, one of the fastest most vaccinated countries in the world, and we were proud to contribute vaccine doses, millions of doses, for free with no conditions.
We're also proud to partner through our public health networks to help with public awareness, contact tracing, testing and other efforts to succeed at overcoming the pandemic, and also to contribute to Cambodia's economic recovery.
That's good for the United States. Cambodia, staying vaccinated and healthy was good for the region, good for the globe. Cambodia's economic recovery is good for the 17 million Cambodian people and the United States. So that was a shared challenge.
Cambodia was also helpful in other ways. We had many citizens here in Cambodia during the pandemic, perhaps no more famously than the cruise ship the Westerdam that was looking for a port of call, refused by a number of other countries because of fears of Covid. But Cambodia opened its heart and welcomed that cruise ship here, and over 1,200 passengers and crew found their way home safely, the majority of whom were American citizens.
I was very grateful for Cambodia's generosity. There are other challenges that we had to work together on, for example, Russia's illegal, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine far away. But that had implications for food and energy security, including here in Cambodia. When Cambodia was the ASEAN chair in 2022, it took a very principled stance in the United Nations co-sponsoring resolutions that condemn that invasion. That was very important leadership on the part of Cambodia.
Also the coup in Myanmar in the ensuing humanitarian crisis. The instability in that country does not only impact the 60 to 70 million Myanmar population, but also the region. Myanmar once again is exporting some of its problems, refugees, illicit narcotics and more instability that threatens the region.
Cambodia needs to work on that as a member of ASEAN and as a leader within ASEAN. So we've had shared conversations on those issues. We are challenged by an aggressive North Korea, with its ballistic missiles and its nuclear pursuits. Cambodia has been a very responsible partner in adhering to UN Security Council resolutions but also seizing, during my time here, two vessels that were illegally shipping commodities that brought revenue to North Korea for these illegal activities.
Cambodia has been very responsible, very impactful. You know, naturally, we could talk about some challenges in the bilateral relationship, like human rights and rule of law, democracy, but we've been having very productive dialogue on that.
We have a strong civil society in Cambodia. If protected, it can be part of choosing a better path for a more productive path forward to a stronger democracy, where all rights are respected.
Q: Do you anticipate an increase or decrease in US funding for development projects in Cambodia?
A: We've had terrific foreign assistance programs here in Cambodia, especially for the last 30 years really producing great results. Those programmes are conducted in partnerships with civil society and NGOs and directly, with many beneficiaries in Cambodia. So it's a partnership that helps success for foreign assistance.
I'm very confident, we have faith in the Cambodian people and its potential for the future. We're going to continue foreign assistance as long as it's needed, and as long as there are good partnerships.
Of course, back in the United States. I don't make all of the decisions on foreign assistance. Congress is an important partner and controls our finances. I encourage Cambodia to listen to our US Congress, an equal partner in the US government with the executive branch.
Sometimes they have concerns. They have strong views, of course, about human rights and rule of law. So, I encourage listening to that to ensure that we can continue to maintain our foreign assistance programmes.
I also have a lot of faith in the American people, because there are many private benefactors and philanthropists who contribute with programming and activities here in Cambodia. In fact, that's very significant helping with schools, health and education. The number one source of tourists in Siem Reap at Angkor is the United States. So Americans are coming here, they're staying longer. They're spending more money and they're very, very interested in Cambodia's fascinating, cultural history and cultural heritage offerings, and what they are bringing with them. Artefacts that were looted during conflict periods, that's something that our partnership has been able to produce, working with law enforcement in the United States to identify those precious precious gems, the heart and soul of the kingdom of Cambodia.
During my time, we've brought back many, many artefacts, and more are coming very soon. When I read about that, when I'm back in the United States, it will make me very, very happy for the Cambodian people.
Q: What is your view on the Techo Canal, which will be situated on one of the Mekong River’s main tributaries?
A: I want to make it very clear. Cambodia is a sovereign, independent country, and we view all countries in the region as sovereign independent. We want to have good partnerships, whether it's between a big country like the United States or a smaller country, like Cambodia, we respect this sovereignty and independence.
Cambodia chooses its development path and we're hopeful that our foreign assistance matches the aspirations and the objectives of all stakeholders here in Cambodia, the government and private citizens. When it comes to this canal, it's not an issue for the United States. It's a decision for Cambodian stakeholders. As a friend of Cambodia, we do hope for any big infrastructure project, there can be transparency so citizens can see how decisions are being made, and what the impacts of any project might be, whether it's a highway, an airport, or a canal.
Also, we note when it comes to water resources, there are important mechanisms for the countries in the region to collaborate. Perhaps the most important mechanism is the Mekong River Commission, the MRC, and the United States is a partner with the MRC and has contributed to that mechanism.
It only works as well as the countries who are participants join in and become transparent and share information. We know that the canal seems to be getting a lot of attention. Maybe you could even call this a bit controversial. We're not a part of that story, but we hope Cambodia will fully collaborate and cooperate through the MRC with all of its neighbours, so everyone can be comfortable and satisfied with the intended re implications and objectives and to learn more about the project and any implications that might be for their interest. For example, for the environment, or their commercial interests, whatever that may be. Dialogue is good. That's what we encourage as a friend of Cambodia.
Q: This question is about the explosion in Kampong Speu. You also tweeted about it. We used that statement in our story. Can you give us more comments about the incident? Why is it a matter of the US?
A: As a friend of the Kingdom of Cambodia and its people, we offer the deepest of condolences. The loss of life due to those explosions was very significant and we grieve with the Cambodian people for these victims and their families. I immediately made a public message to that effect. Of course, like in any circumstance, we're here to help if any help is needed.
Let me say two things about this incident. One, I'm not an expert, I'm not a military officer, but I know dealing with armaments and weapons can be a dangerous and risky undertaking. We have a partnership with Cambodia where we are helping to destroy old weapons, and that assistance will continue.
Old armaments and weapons need to be properly destroyed. We have good technology and good NGO partners, helping Cambodia do just that. We hope we can continue that going into the future. The second thing is, potentially, this incident can speak to the military relationship between our two countries. It's not the best relationship. In the past, we had areas of cooperation that don't exist now and there are a lot of reasons for that. There are some challenging periods in our relationship.
I'm confident if and as Cambodia continues to strengthen its rule of law, addresses corruption and protects human rights, that can open the door for the restoration of more robust military and military assistance. Cambodia would benefit from training from our expertise, and we would benefit as well with a stronger partner here in the region, pursuing a peaceful, stable, open and free and fair Indo-Pacific region.
We benefit as well because with Cambodia's capabilities in the military realm, there can be stronger maritime security. There can be efforts to counter terrorism and other threats, including in the criminal realm, but there are some areas where we sustained good cooperation. Maybe one of the most meaningful to the American people is that Cambodia continues to fully support the accounting for POW MIA’s American personnel, who went missing here during the conflict period, both military personnel and civilians and we have 48 Americans.
Their families are still waiting for answers in the United States, their communities, their schools, their churches, and the American people in general and Cambodia has been a great partner.
We have accounted for over 40 missing Americans through these efforts and brought some sort of end to the mystery of what happened then. This cooperation has been good. I've been a strong supporter of it on behalf of those families and the American people and I'm delighted we have good cooperation. That shows to me the potential to do more together and I hope that can happen.
Q: What is your position on the construction of a base at Ream naval base?
A: Cambodia as an independent sovereign country chooses its partners, including its military partners. As a friend of Cambodia with an enduring official relationship and a long friendship, we hope that Cambodia can have diverse partners and be friends with many many countries.
According to many credible reports at Ream naval base, there are some who conclude that this may be a path to exclusive use by the Chinese military of territory. We know the government's position. The Constitution prohibits that. Cambodia has had a complicated history and does not seek to have foreign troops or foreign bases on its territory.
But the case of Ream naval base does raise some questions and we recommend more transparency, more signs of assuredness that this facility will be open soon to all partners including the United States but others in the region.
The concerns about the Ream base are not just American concerns, but we hear those from Cambodia's neighbours. We hear that from Cambodian citizens. Again, Cambodia chooses its partners. We don't question that. And we certainly don't question the relationship between Cambodia and China. That's an important relationship for you with a big neighbour for your economy. That's important. The United States has a relationship with China. That's very important. It might be a bit more complicated and challenging, but we know that Cambodia needs a good relationship there. But when it comes to military relationships, we hope for diversity. We hope for transparency, we hope for adherence to international standards.
Q: As your time as new Ambassador comes to a close, what are you most looking forward to making your next chapter?
A: I have been a public servant, including as a diplomat, for 35 years and I love it. I love representing my country and contributing. I hope for better relations around the world and greater global peace and security. So, I'm going to continue my public service. I think I have more years to give.
More importantly, I'm going to take some incredible memories from my time in the Kingdom of Cambodia. That's made me a better person, and that is the relationship I've had with the Cambodian people. Just terrific. I'm so amazed by the Cambodian people, their resilience, their innovation, their creativity, their respect, their kindness.
My wife and my children have been so warmly received here. I think all of my American colleagues at the embassy feel that way. Americans who come to visit Cambodia feel that way. Also, Cambodia has a lot to offer. It has a complicated history, but we can all learn lessons from history and we can't forget those complicated, darker days so that they're not repeated. That's actually an important contribution to the world, what Cambodia went through, even though it was so difficult, but you have 1000s of years of cultural history and heritage that are unprecedented, and I know Cambodians are proud of that. People travel 1000s of miles and spend hard earned money just to come to Cambodia to experience that, and I know Cambodia has even more to offer, not just the great temples, you have natural resources.
I personally have enjoyed discovering your mountains, your rivers, your lakes, your coast, hiking, and being exposed to some amazing wildlife and forests here has really been a pleasure. I discovered creatures that I had not seen before coming to Cambodia, very endangered species that are under a lot of threats, so I hope Cambodians can be part of the process to protect them. The gibbons, the vultures, the birds of many varieties and other creatures are really so important to protect but also to enjoy.
I think this has really, for me, been an enriching five years, and I take away a lot. I think I'm a better person for the experience. I'm going to continue to think about this kingdom in my future life and I think I'm going to be a little bit of an ambassador for the Cambodian people because I look forward to sharing with my fellow Americans a lot of the stories that don't get told.
The cooperation that we do have here is not just challenges, but cooperation and the goodness of the great American, of the great Cambodian people, and its many cultural delights.
Read more here.
US Ambassador on Cyber Scams
By Prak Chan Thul (Kiripost)
During an interview with Kiripost’s Prak Chan Thul, US Ambassador Patrick Murphy urged Cambodia to confront the cyber scam issue, highlighting its negative impact on the country's reputation and economic development.
Q: You mentioned cyber scams, can you talk more about this case? Have you approached the Cambodian government about this problem? What are the solutions, including for victims who are also Americans, that Cambodia can show?
A: Absolutely, like all these issues, we have a good and strong dialogue between the United States and Cambodia. I want to express appreciation, in fact, to the government of Cambodia for being accessible and open to dialogues with all of our officials at all levels. I had many opportunities to discuss directly with the Prime Minister and his entire cabinet as ambassador.
The new Prime Minister also met with visiting officials and US officials elsewhere, for example, in New York or at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and that's great. I hope it will continue.
The cyber scam centres largely fall under criminal activities and trafficking in persons, and we have mechanisms to address both and have dialogue through law enforcement and a Memorandum of Understanding where we have a joint task force to counter crime. Also, through a joint inter ministerial bilateral committee on trafficking in persons and through these different forums, we discussed these issues; we brought recommendations and advice and council to the table but we are also bringing assistance.
We do a lot of training to ensure awareness of trafficking. We do training on law enforcement capabilities to improve the ability to counter these crimes. The primary reason we do this is because if Cambodia can succeed in countering crimes, countering trafficking, stopping these cyber scam centres, it’s going to help your economy, it’s going to help your rule of law, your Sustainable Development Goals going forward, but it’s also going to be good for the region.
There are many victims from other countries and it’s going to help the United States because we have had victims of these financial crimes, so we are interested in protecting our own citizens as well, so the result will be positive for everybody.
Q: When abroad, some people say that they don’t want to come to visit Cambodia, it’s not safe because they heard about the cyber scam centres and arrests. What are the good things that Cambodia can show to the world, not just about the cyber scams? How important is it to stop these centres?
A: I think it's important to recognise first that government officials here in Cambodia acknowledge cyber scams are a challenge. The government has also acknowledged that Cambodia used to be exclusively a source of trafficking victims, and is now a destination as well for trafficking victims. However, what I think it's really important for government spokespeople, representatives and officials to do first, when they are asked by the media or questioned by international organisations, is to acknowledge that these problems exist.
Sometimes, I think it's easier to pivot to being defensive or critical of this criticism. And that becomes the story, perhaps officials deny there's a problem or are offended by a report or question the credibility of the information.
I think the very first message needs to be. We have a challenge. It's a global challenge. Even in the United States, we have trafficking of persons. We need to work together to solve it. And that's what I encourage the IRS is here first and outside the country that's important as well.
There needs to be transparency. So when a cyber scam centre is discovered, there needs to be a view shared with the world who's working there, how many victims are there, what law enforcement actions are being taken against the perpetrators? And it's not just the perpetrators on the ground but who owns these compounds? Who facilitated the movement of people into Cambodia, sometimes unwittingly, victims that don't know what kind of work they're going to do? That's what the world needs to hear, not just denial and criticism.
The other thing that is important, and this is part of our recommendation, is to increase public awareness and enlist the public in combating these crimes, including the media. If everybody knows what to look for, they can be sources to report. Hey, in this compound, something bad seems to be happening. Let's get some law enforcement action to investigate and find out what's going on. We need to hold accountable those people who are facilitating these actions. Sometimes, that might mean going up the ladder.
More senior officials might be responsible, not just low level people, so we have to hold to account those who are responsible. Finally, we need to ensure that we're doing everything we can to identify victims and to protect them. Not assume that they've committed crimes if they were unaware or unwitting in what they're doing, but know that they're victims and they need some help. They need help getting home and surviving through these experiences, which are not easy at all.
Q: Who benefits from these cyber scam centres as they deny their existence? Generally, who might be the ones that benefit from this?
A: Based on the experts who have advised me, including from law enforcement, the cyber scam centres are part of an international syndicate of criminals, and it's a multi billion dollar industry. Unfortunately, criminals are getting very smart on how to use technology. That's why this problem is so disturbing and also very challenging, and why we need to cooperate internationally.
It takes smart savvy people to beat the criminals to understand this technology and to protect all of our citizens. It is, as I note, frequently eroding economies and eroding trust in the rule of law in some governments because it's such a big problem, it needs to really be a priority. But governments don't have to do this alone. They can get help from the media, from citizens and also civil society, including here in Cambodia. Civil society is very helpful in awareness of trafficking issues of the technology that's being used, of who victims are and where they might be coming. But, collectively, I'm very confident in all of us working together. We can tackle this problem; we must.
Read more here.