VZCZCXRO3158
PP RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHPF #0399/01 0720120
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 130120Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8170
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY
RUHEKBC/COMMARFORPAC  PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PHNOM PENH 000399 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR CA/OCS/ACS, EAP/EX, EAP/MLS, G/AIAG, MED 
STATE ALSO FOR OES/PDAS/PCI ASTEWART AND OES/IHA DSINGER 
HHS FOR STEIGER AND OGHA ELVANDER 
CDC FOR NCID COX 
USAID FOR ANE/AA KUNDER, GH/HIDN CARROLL, OFDA LEVY 
BEIJING FOR ESTH - SELIGSOHN AND SHAPIRO 
BANGKOK FOR CDC MALISON AND CHONG, USAID FOR BRADSHAW, MED 
FOR MCCOY 
JAKARTA FOR NAMRU BLAIR, USAID KRAMER 
HANOI FOR USAID ZVINAKIS, HHS IADEMARCO AND DENNIS 
VIENTIANE FOR BAUER AND CORWIN 
RANGOON FOR TIDWELL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2017 
TAGS: PREL TBIO SENV ECON CASC CB
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR MARFORPAC PANDEMIC/AVIAN INFLUENZA 
TEAM 
 
Classified By: Jennifer Spande for reason 1.4 (b) 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  While fully normal relations between the 
United States and Cambodia have eluded both countries since 
diplomatic relations began more than a half century ago, the 
bilateral relationship has improved markedly over the last 
few years.  Cooperation is particularly close on security and 
health issues, such as counter-terrorism and intel-sharing, 
POW/MIA matters, HIV/AIDS, and avian influenza.  Cambodia has 
made significant strides in veterinary and human avian 
influenza (AI) surveillance and has developed an AI 
preparedness plan.  While mil-mil ties have deepened 
considerably in the past 18 months, including with the first 
US navy ship visit in 30 years, US cooperation with the 
Cambodian military pales in comparison to assistance from 
Vietnam and China.  The embassy continues to press the Royal 
Government of Cambodia (RGC) on efforts to fight corruption 
and to improve its human rights and political openness 
record.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Avian/Pandemic Influenza Preparations in Cambodia 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶2.  (U) In Cambodia, the first human cases of H5N1 influenza 
were detected in 2005 when four human cases were identified 
and all resulted in death.  Most recently in March 2006, two 
additional human cases were found, bringing the total number 
of human infections to six, all of them fatal.  Over the past 
3 years, the Ministry of Agriculture has investigated, 
intervened, and reported to the international community more 
than 23 significant bird mortality outbreaks due to H5N1. 
The H5N1 virus is widely circulating amongst domestic and 
free range poultry.  The current AI situation in Cambodia 
remains at a WHO Phase 3 status. 
 
¶3.  (U) Cambodia has responded to this problem by developing 
an emergency pandemic preparedness plan which intends to not 
only prepare for a pre-pandemic status but also a pandemic 
(Phase 4) level alert.  The Prime Minister has appointed the 
National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) as the lead 
ministry for coordinating the implementation of the National 
Comprehensive Pandemic Plan within all government ministries. 
 The lead technical agencies include the Ministry of 
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and Ministry of 
Health (MOH).  Cambodia has made considerable strides in the 
enhancement of both the veterinary and human AI surveillance 
and early warning systems from the national to the village 
level.  Additionally, there is an incredible multi-media 
information, education, and communication (IEC) campaign. 
USG agencies, the UN, and other donors have contributed 
substantial technical and financial support to the RGC toward 
developing the pandemic early warning surveillance systems 
and disease outbreak and containment capacity. 
 
Growing Mil-Mil Ties 
-------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C/REL AUS NATO) The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) 
remains an ineffective force that suffers from being the 
legacy of the factional reconciliation which ended the civil 
war in the early 90's.  It was created to amalgamate the 
armed forces of all contending groups and enable subsequent 
demobilization.  Some demobilization occurred in the 90's. 
The RCAF has recently recommenced this effort, demobilizing 
7000 personnel in calendar year 2006 funded by internal 
government resources.  However, it is still top heavy, with 
over 700 generals in a force nominally of around 107,000, and 
actually (discounting ghost soldiers and age/health 
ineffective soldiers) less than 60,000.  Within the nominal 
force, the Army is overwhelmingly predominant, followed by 
the Gendarmerie, Navy and Air Force.  Its equipment is 
primarily aging Warsaw Pact material, much of which is 
non-operational.  The Defense budget has averaged around less 
than US 70 million for the last several years, but was 
increased to USD 78 million for 2007.  The basic pay for a 
soldier is around USD 25 monthly, and even generals receive 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000399  002 OF 003 
 
 
less than USD 400 monthly.  Military personnel survive 
through additions to their salary for occupying particular 
positions, through corruption, and (for many lower and 
mid-ranking personnel) taking second and even third jobs, 
which results in their rarely being present for duty.  The 
major exception is the B70 Brigade, the only unit located in 
Phnom Penh, which serves as the regime protection unit and 
includes the Prime Minister's personal bodyguard. 
 
¶5.  (C/REL AUS NATO) The RCAF conducts foreign defense 
cooperation with a variety of countries with and outside the 
region, including (in order of assessed value) Vietnam, 
China, Australia, France, the US, Thailand, Indonesia, 
Malaysia, Singapore and India.  China and Vietnam are the 
major players, with programs in excess of USD 3 million 
annually each, and are generally in competition with each 
other for influence.  For the Royal Cambodian Navy, this 
meant that the Chinese agreement to provide a USD 60 million 
no interest loan to increase maritime capability over time 
resulted in Vietnam--in very short order--donating two ocean 
going patrol ships and providing operational funding for 
quarterly joint maritime patrols/training exercises. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Mil-mil cooperation between the RGC and USG has 
been expanding dramatically in the last 18 months.  The 
initial increase was the result of consultations with 
Congress in 2004.  As remaining sanctions have been allowed 
to expire, cooperation has grown rapidly.  As a result, for 
example, while Cambodia received no FMF in 2004, it received 
USD 992,000 at the end of FY05 and USD 990,000 at the end of 
FY06, and in the FY07 Continuing Resolution is earmarked for 
an additional USD 1 million.  Cambodia became eligible for 
IMET for the first time in FY06 (with a modest sum) and the 
focus has been on increasing English language instruction 
capability and establishing some US style defense cooperation 
management capability.  As you are aware, when COMPACOM 
visited Cambodia last year, he committed PACOM to support 
this expansion--both with inherent PACOM resources and in the 
overall budget process.  He directed deployment of an 
assessment team to work with Cambodia to develop a long term 
program.  This has resulted in a joint agreement for US 
efforts in Cambodia to focus on English language training, 
building capacity on border control, counter narcotics, 
counter-terrorism, mobility, and participation in 
international peacekeeping operations  The RCAF does have a 
naval ground component but it is so small and poorly 
supported by the Cambodians that putting resources towards 
building capacity there is not supported by the Country Team, 
nor is it part of the joint PACOM/RCAF long term plan. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Recognizing the limited resources available, 
MARFORPAC may want to consider engagement in specialty areas, 
and look at medical, EOD, or engineering.  Humanitarian 
Assistance activities, such as the medical clinic constructed 
by the Marines in Kampong Chhnang in 2005, would provide the 
greatest overall support to the Mission.  We hope your 
proposal for both an ENCAP and a MEDCAP this summer is still 
on track.  Work with the government on AI/PI has been 
primarily done through the Centers for Disease Control and 
USAID.  We look forward to our discussion on 17 March 
focusing on AI/PI.  We would appreciate examining your 
proposal for a SMEE, as it is not clear to us that this would 
not duplicate efforts already conducted. 
 
Cambodia Matures as an International Actor 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  Since reestablishing diplomatic relations in 1992 
following the signing of the Paris Peace Accords, the U.S. 
and Cambodia have incrementally but steadily strengthened 
their ties, albeit with occasional setbacks as a result of 
Cambodian human rights transgressions.  The momentum of this 
deepening relationship has increased in recent years and 
Cambodia has begun taking a more responsible position in 
international affairs.  The RGC has sent peacekeepers to 
Sudan (a company of de-miners), supported Guatemala's bid for 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000399  003 OF 003 
 
 
the UNSC seat and taken a more publicly critical stance on 
Burma. 
 
Keeping Political Space Open, Human Rights Are Priorities 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The level of political violence in Cambodia has 
fallen since the early 1990s, but there remain serious 
concerns regarding human rights and democratization.  Like 
other countries in the region, Cambodia's leaders have used 
its weak and easily influenced judiciary to pursue legal 
cases against critics and the political opposition.  For 
example, many see the current breach of trust case against 
Prince Norodom Ranariddh as an attempt to discredit his newly 
formed political party before the upcoming local elections. 
The PM has had a very public falling out with the UN's 
Special Rapporteur for Human Rights for Cambodia, Kenyan 
constitutional lawyer Yash Ghai, due to what the PM considers 
as unduly harsh criticism of the human rights situation in 
Cambodia.  International observers will closely monitor the 
local commune council elections scheduled for April 1, 2007 
and the national elections in summer 2008.  Cambodia's 
previous three national elections have shown improvement 
during each five-year cycle, with diminishing levels of 
political violence, but intimidation and vote-buying continue 
to be problematic. 
 
Corruption Remains Endemic 
-------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) In 2006, Transparency International ranked 
Cambodia 151 out of 163 countries in its corruption 
perceptions index; Burma was the only country in Asia ranked 
lower than Cambodia.  There has been continued and widespread 
land grabbing by government officials and the politically 
well-connected.  Enactment of an anti-corruption law has 
dragged on for years, with the government showing little 
inclination to adopt legislation that would lead to strong 
enforcement.  Rather than embrace the reforms that would 
garner increased investment and the new jobs that would be 
created, some in the RGC appear to be banking on the future 
income from its as-yet-untapped oil and gas reserves, which 
should come on stream after 2009.  Donors are concerned that 
the current corrupt political environment could lead to 
misuse of future revenues that are badly needed to reduce 
poverty in the country. 
MUSSOMELI