VZCZCXRO3465
OO RUEHHM
DE RUEHPF #1092/01 1601122
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 091122Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6838
INFO RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 1578
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI 3940
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 0306
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 0042
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1477

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 001092 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS, G/TIP AND EAP/RSP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL CB KWMN
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR PRESSES CAMBODIAN DPM ON TIP 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 85578 
 
     ¶B. SECSTATE 89018 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary:  On June 8, the Ambassador delivered the 
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) demarche to Deputy Prime 
Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Kheng noting the 
upgrade from Tier 3 to Tier 2 Watch List.  While praising 
Cambodia's progress during the previous year, he emphasized 
that law enforcement officials have not done an exemplary job 
in recent months.  He also urged the speedy passage of the 
draft anti-TIP law.  DPM Sar Kheng welcomed Cambodia's 
upgrade and pledged to redouble RGC efforts on TIP.  The 
Ambassador also pressed for progress in fighting corruption, 
which hurt TIP and other efforts.  End Summary. 
 
------------ 
TIP DEMARCHE 
------------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  On June 8, the Ambassador delivered the 
Trafficking in Persons demarche to DPM Sar Kheng, and 
provided the text of the Cambodian report included in reftel. 
 He encouraged Cambodia to pass pending anti-TIP legislation 
and to maintain Cambodia's positive momentum on anti-TIP 
efforts.  The number of police investigations has declined in 
recent months, noted the Ambassador, who urged the MOI to 
increase its efforts.  He lauded the work of an RGC 
delegation led by Minister of Women's Affairs Ing Kantha 
Phavi and Ministry of Interior and Justice officials who 
visited Washington for detailed consultations on TIP issues. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  The DPM was pleased that Cambodia had been moved 
from Tier 3 to the Tier 2 Watch List.  He noted that the new 
Tier ranking came with an interim assessment, which the DPM 
thought would ensure that Cambodia did not backtrack on its 
commitments.  He promised to look into the anti-trafficking 
law and encourage its passage to show Cambodia's commitment 
to fighting TIP.  Sar Kheng went on to state that he will 
look into concerns that law enforcement efforts have 
declined.  The DPM said that the Tier upgrade will encourage 
Cambodia to maintain its focus on fighting human trafficking. 
 
---------------------- 
CORRUPTION IN CAMBODIA 
---------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  The Ambassador went on to explain that Washington 
also wanted to see progress on corruption, which affected 
Cambodia's performance on TIP and other areas.  He emphasized 
that it was important that an anti-corruption law be passed 
that met international standards.  He added that passing such 
a law would affect how the donor community as well as foreign 
investors look at Cambodia.  The Ambassador noted that 
Cambodia has the opportunity to improve its performance on 
fighting corruption just as it had increased its anti-TIP 
efforts. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The DPM agreed that the passage of the 
anti-corruption law was important but added that this is a 
sensitive issue.  He talked about the need to decentralize 
power in Cambodia.  He noted how well Cambodia's economy had 
been growing recently but only a few people were receiving 
the fruits of that growth; he saw decentralization as a cure 
to this uneven growth.  Sar Kheng reflected that on a recent 
visit to Japan, he met a provincial governor and saw how a 
province of 800,000 people generated revenue of $4 billion 
while the 14 million people in Cambodia generated less than 
$1 billion in revenue.  He thanked the USG for the assistance 
given for administrative reform and singled out for praise 
the $3 million per year in funding from USAID for a local 
administration reform program. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  The Ambassador offered to send a copy of the 
suggested changes to the anti-corruption law put forward by 
the donor community to the DPM for consideration.  Sar Kheng 
said he would review the suggestions and see how the MOI can 
be of assistance in the incorporation of the proposed changes 
to the draft bill. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Sar Kheng did not appear to be surprised by the 
suggestion that the police have not been as diligent in 
anti-TIP investigations and arrests since earlier in the 
 
PHNOM PENH 00001092  002 OF 002 
 
 
year.  We plan to see Police Commissioner Hok Lundy next week 
to convey our concerns and urge his office to actively pursue 
investigation requests from NGOs.  The MOI, which has an 
interest in the anti-corruption legislation given the 
investigatory nature of the Anti-Corruption Body, is not in a 
strong position to affect changes to the draft law at this 
stage, although DPM Sar Kheng carries weight in ruling party 
deliberations. 
STORELLA