Policing, Free Expression Raised at Donor Meeting

Amid a recent spike in police violence against land protesters, Cambodia’s foreign donors yesterday together called on the government for “responsible policing” and expressed “concern” over the trend.

The relative candor from aid donors toward the end of the high-level but long-delayed meeting with top government officials in Phnom Penh yesterday, where the government officially approved a revised list or reform targets, or Joint Monitoring Indicators (JMIs), pushed by the donors. …

Ahead of yesterday’s meeting, several international human rights groups urged Cambodia’s donors to make their aid more conditional on the government’s progress toward the reform targets and its respect of human rights.

Though none of the donors present yesterday made official aid pledges, many are already locked in to multi-year plans. …