Officials mum on ‘advocacy’ NGO missive
Top government officials yesterday either declined to comment or said they had no knowledge of a letter from Finance Minister Keat Chhon to Prime Minister Hun Sen proposing to bar all foreign NGOs from “advocacy” work in the country, as well as stopping foreigners from working with local advocacy groups. The June 17 letter, which Mr Hun Sen endorsed, shows a clearly exasperated Mr Chhon complaining about two NGOs – with foreign employees – that he accused of “inciting” opposition to a government-led railway rehabilitation project that requires thousands of families to move from their homes… A dozen top officials with both the Finance Ministry and the prime minister’s Cabinet either said they had no knowledge of the letter or declined to comment…
