OBSERVERS have criticised the government's proposed increase in defence
and security spending, saying it ignores more pressing concerns and
risks the "militarisation" of Cambodian politics and society.
The 2010 draft budget, approved by the Council of Ministers on October
28, showed a 24.2 percent increase in the country's defence and security
expenditures from $223 million this year to $277 million in 2010.
Of the $1.97 billion contained in the draft budget, defence spending
makes up 14 percent, compared with just 1.7 percent for agriculture, 1.7
percent for rural development and 0.7 percent for maintaining water
resources.
Observers said the gulf separating military and social spending ignored
Cambodia's developmental priorities.
"[This increase] cannot be justified, considering the combined spending
on agriculture and rural development is less than 5 percent," said Ou
Virak, president of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights. "It's an
indication of where the current government's priorities stand."
Ou Virak said a rise might be justified if the country was facing a
serious external threat, but that the ongoing border dispute with
Thailand was being used as an excuse to bolster the strength of the
armed forces.
"The tensions with Thailand are playing into what Hun Sen wants, which
is to militarise the state," he said. If the government wishes to reform
the military, he added, a better route would be to make sure it is
"smaller, more professional and under civilian leadership".
Political analyst Chea Vannath said the proposed increases flew in the
face of Cambodia's recent tumultuous history.
"The military budget is always higher compared with the proportion of
other ministries, [but] it's supposed to be the other way around," she
said. "We have to remember our past experience of destruction. The
military is not the answer to the Cambodian present and future."
In last year's draft budget, the government proposed doubling military
spending to $500 million following the escalation of the military
standoff with Thailand over Preah Vihear temple but backed down after
donors expressed concerns.
The most recent figures in the CIA World Factbook suggest that Thailand
spends about $10 billion on its military, while Vietnam spends about $6
billion. Thailand's GDP is about 20 times as high as Cambodia's.
Cheam Yeap, chairman of the National Assembly's Commission on Finance
and Banking, denied that the 2010 increase was related to the Thai
border dispute, saying it would be used to raise salaries and improve
conditions in the army.
"The increase in military spending is intended to restructure the
military to better defend the country," he said, adding that it would be
matched by increases for "priority" sectors such as education, health,
agriculture, water resources and rural development.
Cheam Yeap said the draft budget will be sent to the National Assembly.
Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party, applauded the increase
in spending – from $1.75 billion this year to $1.97 in 2010 – but
questioned that the government could pay for it.
"The budget division is still unfair, as corruption continues to be a
problem," he said, adding that the loss of funds from corruption and
misuse was taking a bite out of the government's bottom line.
Ministry of Defence spokesman Chhum Socheat could not be reached on Tuesday.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment