SRP Seeks Suspension of All US Military Aid to Cambodia
Opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua departed for the U.S. yesterday in hopes of pressuring Washington into suspending all military aid to Cambodia over the government’s use of soldiers to defend the land holdings of powerful business families. “We have enough evidence that soldiers are providing protection to these economic land concessions and are involved in the killings,” Ms. Sochua said shortly before boarding her flight. The government’s practice of using soldiers to defend the plantations of agri-business firms has been well documented. Relations between individual military units and private companies were even formalized in 2010 when the government assigned several firms—including some with controversial land holdings—the responsibility to financially sponsor those troops. …
