PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was defiant on Tuesday, a day before the European Union is to decide whether to end the country’s special trade preferences over human rights concerns, saying the nation “will not bow down” to foreign demands.

 

Cambodia benefits from the EU’s “Everything But Arms” (EBA) trade program, which allows the world’s least-developed countries to export most goods to the European Union free of duties.

 

The European Union has threatened to suspend the trade preferences over a crackdown on the opposition, NGOs and the media by Hun Sen, who has ruled the country of 16 million for more than 35 years.

 

A document posted on European Parliament’s website suggests that any EBA withdrawal from Cambodia would be partial, saying “some products” would be covered and rice was not included. The official announcement is due on Wednesday.

In a speech on Tuesday, Hun Sen said he wouldn’t bow to respond to EU’s demands.

 

“Therefore, we call on the Cambodian people to stand up to protect Cambodia’s independence, sovereignty and peace. Let’s not bow down to anyone, we must work hard to live,” Hun Sen said.

 

“We want to be friends and partners with all countries around the world but if they do not understand us and want to force us, we don’t agree,” Hun Sen said.

 

The garment industry is Cambodia’s largest employer, generating $7 billion for the economy each year. Exports to EU markets were worth $5.4 billion in 2018, according to official data.

 

Clothing company H&M Group said withdrawal of the EBA for Cambodian-made garments would not cause it to stop sourcing from Cambodia but it would hurt production there.

 

“We will continue to produce in Cambodia, but a lack of adequate initiatives developing the Cambodian textile industry, and a withdrawal of the EBA privileges, will have a negative impact on our production in the country,” H&M press officer Ulrika Isaksson said in an email.

 

Self-exiled Cambodian opposition figure Sam Rainsy said on Tuesday that Hun Sen should have complied with the EU’s demands, aimed at restoring fundamental freedoms in Cambodia.

 

“Even a partial suspension of the EBA scheme is a sad development because it will still affect Cambodian workers’ jobs and our country’s economy at least to a certain degree and because such a development could have been avoided,” Sam Rainsy told Reuters in an email.

 

Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Editing by Kay Johnson, Gerry Doyle and Giles Elgood

 

--  REUTERS

He cares about corruption money only 

6 hours ago, geovalin said:

the nation “will not bow down” to foreign demands.

Except for our good friends in China...

49 minutes ago, timendres said:

Except for our good friends in China...

But this will affect the Chinese who built & own the companies that produce cheap goods in Cambodia and use them to export around the world!

Ji Xi Ping will not be happy with Hun Sen if he loses his edge in th Cambodian production line, exporting to Europe!

When Cambodia takes revenge against retired EU expats, I hope he'll remember we Brits don't like the EU either.

Maybe the UK could do a trade deal with him.

Edited February 12, 20206 yr by BritManToo

8 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

But this will affect the Chinese who built & own the companies that produce cheap goods in Cambodia and use them to export around the world!

Ji Xi Ping will not be happy with Hun Sen if he loses his edge in th Cambodian production line, exporting to Europe!

Hence the reason he will ultimately bow to Europe.

11 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

When Cambodia takes revenge against retired EU expats, I hope he'll remember we Brits don't like the EU either.

Maybe the UK could do a trade deal with him.

But what would the UK do with the extra 10 quid?

27 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

But this will affect the Chinese who built & own the companies that produce cheap goods in Cambodia and use them to export around the world!

Ji Xi Ping will not be happy with Hun Sen if he loses his edge in th Cambodian production line, exporting to Europe!

XI JI PING is the one that told Hun Sen to play hard with the EU negotiators....he will be in for a big surprise, let's wait

H e could care less about trade and the hardships of Cambodian people....he's in bed with China and in his small brain, that is the best situation he and his family can be in.

With the Chinese building a huge airstrip suitable for long range bombers, just outside Sihanoukville, Cambodia has been sold!

25 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

When Cambodia takes revenge against retired EU expats, I hope he'll remember we Brits don't like the EU either.

Maybe the UK could do a trade deal with him.

If the UK even thinks that way, then the UK is really doomed....currently, they're just a little f##$ed!