How Hun Sen Manipulates Covid Numbers

 

«តួលេខ (មនុស្សស្លាប់ដោយកូវិដ) នេះយើងថាច្រើន ប៉ុន្តែយើងមើលតែចំនួន។ ជាទូទៅ គេមិនមើលតែចំនួនទេ។ គេមើលជាភាគរយ ហើយខ្ញុំថាអត់បានខាលគូលេត (calculate) មើលភាគរយទេណា៎ ចាស៎  ប៉ុន្តែបើតាមការប្រមើលមើលរបស់ខ្ញុំ បើយើងគុណជាភាគរយ អត្រាមរណភាពនេះចាស៎ ក៏វានៅក្នុងកំរិតមួយ បើយើងធៀបជាមួយបណ្តាប្រទេសផ្សេងទៀត ខ្ញុំគិតថានៅក្នុងកំរិតមួយហាក់ដូចជាវានៅទាបនៅឡើយទេ។»

អ្នកនាំពាក្យ​ក្រសួង​សុខាភិបាល វេជ្ជបណ្ឌិត​ ឱ វណ្ណឌីន ថ្ងៃទី​១៤ តុលា ២០២១

​ វិទ្យុបារាំងអន្តរជាតិ

It is clear all numbers published by the Hun Sen government indicate it has managed Covid pandemic rather well. What is so unclear is whether they reflect the reality.

There are several reasons to suggest they may not. First, it is how Or Vandine trivialises the published absolute numbers for Covid deaths. She now wants the public to ignore them. They have been persistent below 20’s per day. She says a proportional representation of deaths shows a better light, compared to those of other countries.

Anyhow, here are the problems. She does not know what she is talking about. While speaking in glowing terms for the percentage representation, she admits she has not done the math for the proportional numbers. That has not stopped her from guessing. It is worrisome that she bulldozes her way through the statistics just to impress.

Second, Hun Sen and Or Vandine have begun to point out that some of the deaths are due to other existing ailments of patients, not necessarily Covid infections. Ministry of Health has instructed that no more tests for Covid infections be carried out for corps. These changes will cover up the real extent of the deaths from Covid by making the daily fatality numbers lower.

Of course, Hun Sen has already used this kind of data manipulation to give the impression that the pandemic is being subdued. The published daily infection rate drops overnight by more than 50% from its high to low hundreds on average when Hun Sen has ordered it ignore rapid antigen test results. While he is right that the test is not as accurate as that of the PCR, many world-renowned epidemiologists recommend the rapid antigen test as a useful complementary tool to quickly identify and control the extent of the infection spread. Nevertheless, he is the one who has initially promoted the test and encouraged the public to use it. He has instructed the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications to import and sell the test kits at about $3 a pop.

Due to the propensity of the government to impress by manipulations, one may wonder if it has also fudged the published vaccination rate, which is now one of the highest in the world. As Hun Sen micromanages many things in the country, especially the local media, there is no way to test validity and reliability of the published rates. Nobody has ever elaborated how those vaccination rates come about. It is more like a public relations exercise when some old and frail people are presented with rewards in the media as winners for receiving a jab at various milestones of the vaccination campaign. Its record keeping must be in an impeccable sequence for them to identify the winners.

Thus, the public will know even less than before the true extent of the pandemic. Some may freak out with a belief Hun Sen has lost control of the virus and resorted to whitewash. Others may be complacent with the rosy numbers and become cavalier.

Ung Bun Ang

26x21

Fake News You Can Trust

Let’s try to understand how Hun Sen’s rule of law works to protect individual’s privacy in Cambodia. His hotshot minion Chin Malin at the Ministry of Justice claims the privacy law does indeed protect private conversations of all individuals, but he slaps on it a huge caveat that they are not be in violation of the Hun Sen law.

To determine whether they are or not, Chin Malin insists someone listen in on the conversations – and tape them for good measure. While a full force of wrath of Hun Sen court will fall upon the individuals for their private conversations that are deemed to be unlawful, Chin Malin says the law ignores the eavesdropper who has violated the privacy law at the first place when prying.

Chin Malin’s explanation of the working of the privacy law implies this is how Hun Sen has benefited from the selective application of the law. The strongman boasts he has access to recordings of at least 50 meetings of other people, and can sneak – at will – into any Zoom meetings, and gets off scot-free. 

«យើងត្រូវបែងចែកអោយបានច្បាស់ កិច្ចសន្ទនាសម្ងាត់ដែលមិនបំពានទៅនឹងច្បាប់ អាហ្នឹងការពារដោយច្បាប់ ក៍ប៉ុន្តែបើសិនជាកិច្ចសន្ទនាសម្ងាត់ដែលប៉ះពាល់ទៅដល់ន្តិសុខជាតិ អញ្ចឹងទេ កិច្ចសន្ទនាសម្ងាត់នោះលែងការពារដោយច្បាប់ហើយ គឺថា សមត្ថកិច្ចគេអាចប្រើគ្រប់មធ្យោបាយធ្វើការទប់ស្កាត់បទល្មើសដែលកើតចេញផែនការនិងកិច្ចសន្ទនាសម្ងាត់​​។»

អ្នកនាំពាក្យ​ក្រសួង​យុត្តិធម៌ ជិនម៉ាលីន ថ្ងៃទី ២៥ មិថុនា​២០២១ វិទ្យុបារាំងអន្តរជាតិ     

 

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