Thursday 31 December 2020
Sunday 27 December 2020
2020 Annual Awards
The year 2020 may see the unusual become usual and the extraordinary turn ordinary. Yet, Covid-19 has not deterred some lucky few from their well-deserved Pseng-Pseng Annual Awards.
Money Spinner Award – NagaWorld (Naga Corp Ltd)
Now, Hun Sen throws in another cash cow to the NagaWorld pot. It is to build modern entertainment centre and hotel concrete jungles only 500 metres from Angkor Wat park ground. Expect this sacred icon to become a part of the theme park like a Disneyland development. Never mind that the Naga concretes will destroy serendipity, serenity, and aesthetic of the Angkor awe.
Yet, there is no free lunch. Grand benefactor Hun Sen must earn a chunk of cash under the table from these money printing permits. He cannot be as stupid as his opponents say he is.
Super Tax Collector Award – Kong Vibol
Director-General of Tax Department Kong Vibol claims 2020 tax revenue will be about 1% higher than that of the previous year’s collection. This means, in defiance of Covid trade restrictions and havoc, there are more taxpayers in 2020, or the same or smaller number of taxpayers together pay more tax. How impressive… if the 2020 tax collection were true.
The tourism sector that contributes 32.7% to the 2019 GDP claims there is no cashflow to pay for their tax liabilities this year. The Cambodia Association of Travel Agents President Chhay Sivlin is now asking for a cancellation of all outstanding tax liabilities for the sector. Unless she is a whinger-for-nothing type, the plea makes the super tax collector a liar. The Covid-19 may also send the garment industry that contributes about 16% to the GDP into a similar predicament.
Double-Talk Award – Premier Hun Sen
Hun Sen says his government has kept under control what he refers to as the 28 November Community Outbreak Incident. Covid-19 has sent CPP high-profilers into quarantine in droves.
But he says he cannot yet close the case due to the following five reasons. First, health officials do not know all locations the infected have been 14 days before the outbreak. Second, many potential infected have not come forward to report on their contacts or for testing for fear of being placed under quarantine. Third, those who are in contact with the infected have not complied with the testing regime. Fourth, it is unclear if those under the quarantine have undertaken a required number of tests to verify they are negative. Fifth, the health officials are uncertain about the number of those who have come to contact with the infected in regional and provincial areas.
Thus, if there are still so many unknown and uncertainty according to his statement, how can Hun Sen conclude that he has the Covid spread under control? His double-talk is almost an art form.
Enjoy 2021, anyhow. The Huns and their mob will.
Ung Bun Ang
27xii20
Honourable Mention
Copycat – Sam Rainsy
Well, it is said if you cannot beat them, join them. After years of concealing frustrations, Sam Rainsy is coming out with guns blazing. The unrefined language he recently uses again and again to deride Hun Sen and the King may make Hun Sen, who is a master of brutish language proud; they say imitation is the best form of flattery, is it not?
Then again, it may also stuff up Mu Sochua’s plan to return to Cambodia on 4 January, unless it is all along meant to be a mere political posturing for point scoring.
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Pseng-Pseng is published irregularly. Previous issues are archived at pseng-pseng.blogspot.com
Sunday 20 December 2020
Thursday 10 December 2020
Hun Sen Sets Up a Blame Game
«ដូចនេះខ្ញុំសុំអំពាវនាវចាប់ពីថ្ងៃនេះទៅរយៈពេល ១៥ ថ្ងៃយ៉ាងតិច គឺជាដំណាក់កាលសាកល្បងដ៏ធំបំផុតរបស់កម្ពុជា ឆ្លងរួច ឬមិនរួចគឺវានៅក្នុងពេលនេះឯង។ បើប្រឹងតែរដ្ឋ ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋមិនប្រឹងទេ មិនចូលរួមទេនោះគឺមិនជោគជ័យទេ។»
នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍ ថ្ងៃទី១ ខែធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ២០២០
«ប៉ុន្តែមកដល់ខែ១១នេះ ប្រែប្រួលបន្តិច ដោយសារមានរដ្ឋមន្រ្តីក្រសួងការបរទេសមួយប្រទេសមួយ គឺ ហុងគ្រី។ គាត់មានជំងឺហ្នឹង តែគាត់មកកម្ពុជា។ ដល់ពេលអញ្ចឹង អ្នកធ្វើការជាមួយ បានឆ្លងមួយចំនួន។ ប៉ុន្តែមួយចំនួនទៀតអត់ឆ្លងទេ។»
រដ្ឋមន្រ្តីក្រសួងមហាផ្ទៃ ស ខេង សំឡេងវីអូអេខ្មែរ ថ្ងៃសុក្រ ទី១៣ វិច្ឆិកា២០២០
“It is very clear the diplomat [in Bangkok Hungarian embassy] was infected by the Hungarian minister [Péter Szijjártó]. The infection happened in Thailand. We have evidence to say so.”
Sophon Iamsirithavorn, chief of the Communicable Diseases Division, Thailand Department of Disease Control, Khmer Times, 11 November 2020
«ប៉ុន្តែ ឥឡូវនេះ ប្រសិនបើអ្នកទាំងអស់គ្នាពាក់ម៉ាស់ តើខ្ញុំត្រូវពាក់អ្វីទៀត? »
នាយករដ្ឋមន្រ្តី ហ៊ុន សែន ខ្មែរថែមស៏ ២៦ ខែវិច្ឆិកា ២០២០
«ពេលវេលានេះមិនមែនជាពេលវេលាស្តីបន្ទោសគ្នា ហើយក៏មិនមែនជាពេលវេលាទម្លាក់កំហុសឱ្យអ្នកនេះឱ្យអ្នកនោះទេ តែជាពេលវេលាត្រូវសាមគ្គីភាពគ្នា។ »
នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍ ថ្ងៃទី១ ខែធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ២០២០
It seems Covid-19 community infections Hun Sen dubs as “incidents” have taken off with vengeance. They send many anxious government elites including Hun Sen himself into quarantine. Hun Sen warns the first half of December 2020 is a critical period for Cambodia. He says if the community outbreaks are not contained, it will be disastrous.
It is not a surprise that the elites ignite the outbreaks. After all, Hun Sen has perfected a regime of privileges and entitlements for themselves riddled with recklessness and double standard. It is conducive to a perfect storm.
First, the recklessness is mind-boggling. Prak Sokhon says visiting Hungarian Peter Szijjarto has been certified Covid-free before he lands in Phnom-Penh. Sar Kheng says he has not. Only one of these two deputy premiers knows what he talks about. Prak Sokhon is happy to let loose Szijjarto to rub shoulders with his local cohorts. Sar Kheng prefers to whine post-factum. Thailand claims Szijjarto has infected others after arriving in Bangkok from Phnom-Penh.
Second, the double standard is astounding. Hun Sen calls for a public cooperation to quell the transmission, yet he says he does not have to wear a mask because everyone has already done so. He exercises the elite privilege of being special, arrogant, and above all rules. While they can take a comfort refuge in home quarantine, garment workers are packed like sardines in their truck transports to and from work, and on factory floors, risking community infections.
Hun Sen must feel the Covid heat and plans to deflect any blame. He is setting up a blame game, while saying it is not time to condemn each other. He asks for a full co-operation from the public warning their commitment and effort will determine a success or failure of his outbreak response. He holds them responsible.
He must know a chunk of the public will breach health guidelines for curbing the community infections. In his crosshairs are communities that are too poor to follow them. For instance, a recent survey by Professor LeBaron of University of Sheffield shows some 88 percent of Cambodian garment workers have been forced to reduce food consumption due to lower incomes. Then there are over a million of migrant workers who are travelling back and forth to Thailand looking for work. The destitute will risk anything by going anywhere to secure incomes and food. It is inconceivable that adequate benefits from Hun Sen’s economic measures during Covid pandemic, like cash distributions, will reach the poor in a regime riddled with corruption and nepotism.
Thus, Hun Sen has secured a perfect scapegoat for his potential Covid disaster. He is smart to quickly rule out his initial plan to declare a state of emergency, which would deprive him of blaming anyone else for his fiasco. This could become another Hun Sen’s legacy: the CPP elites keep their privileges and entitlements without taking any responsibility for their Covid outbreaks and blame others for their inability to put the genie back into the bottle.
Ung Bun Ang
10xii20
Fake News You Can Laugh At
In what sounds like a beggar-tone, Sok Eysen virtually bends his knees and beg Joe Biden for the US debt forgiveness. He stoops so low as he asks for what he says only a tiny sum.
Yes, Biden, who calls Xi Jing Ping a thug, may just do that for the sake of, as Eysan says, “collecting friends” like Hun Sen and “ease the political tension in the world” that Sok Eysan implies Hun Sen has created. How grandiose his master has been.
“When he won the election, Joe Biden gave hints that he will collect friends and ease the political tension in the world…Meanwhile, I think Cambodia’s debt [to the US] is very small. Therefore, I think there is a possibility that the US may cancel the debt or use it to help build and develop Cambodia. I think it is a good thing.”
Cambodian People’s Party spokesman Sok Eysa, Khmer Times, 30 November 2020
Should you wish to receive Pseng-Pseng on your screen as soon as it is released, subscribe to it at https://tinyletter.com/pseng-pseng
Pseng-Pseng is published irregularly. Previous issues are archived at pseng-pseng.blogspot.com
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