Cambodia rejects paying 'dirty debt' to the US

[geovalin]

Cambodia-US relations will further deteriorate if Trump insists on collecting debt incurred by an illegitimate regime.

The United States has renewed its demand for Cambodia to repay a war debt of $500m amid President Donald Trump's push to improve the state budget. Such a demand has met with an outcry from Cambodian political leaders and their people, who have consistently called the debt "dirty" and "blood-stained".

 

Clearly, the memory of the United States' war in Indochina continues to shape Cambodian perceptions of and foreign policy towards the US. Cambodia is reluctant to pay the debt. However, should the US keep forcing Cambodia to service the debt, its moral high ground may be adversely affected. "I have not sent an official letter to Trump asking him to cancel the debt … They brought bombs and dropped them on Cambodia and [now] demand Cambodian people to pay," said Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen early this month.

 

Debt settlement is a complicated and sensitive issue. There are rules and norms, as well as exceptions. There is no standard measure to settle debt, resting upon bilateral negotiation and agreement. Most debt negotiations have been solved by the Paris Club, an informal group of official creditors founded in 1956. Cambodia has serviced some of its debts through the Paris Club agreements.

 

read more http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2017/03/cambodia-rejects-paying-dirty-debt-170321070547291.html

[Saladin]

I am surprised that Cambodia and Laos haven't already sued the US for $billions for the unexploded ordinance that still litters those countries and continues to cause death and injury. The US should take on the task of cleaning this up at US expense if for no other reason than to improve its current image in the world.

[oxo1947]

I think Mexico should pay.....................

[4737 Carlin]

7 hours ago, geovalin said:

and [now] demand Cambodian people to pay," said Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen

Since when did Hun Sen and his corrupt cronies care one bit about the Cambodian people ? The selfish arrogance of the rich, Cambodian elite is astounding. They expect gullible foreign, do-gooders to provide aid and schools for the Cambodian poor whilst they live behind walls and are ferried about in expensive cars and helicopters like kings. This money should be repaid directly from the personal wealth of these pigs - most of it was fleeced from foreign aid budgets anyway.

[joecoolfrog]

1 hour ago, 4737 Carlin said:

Since when did Hun Sen and his corrupt cronies care one bit about the Cambodian people ? The selfish arrogance of the rich, Cambodian elite is astounding. They expect gullible foreign, do-gooders to provide aid and schools for the Cambodian poor whilst they live behind walls and are ferried about in expensive cars and helicopters like kings. This money should be repaid directly from the personal wealth of these pigs - most of it was fleeced from foreign aid budgets anyway.

All true !

Unfortunately though these people are the legacy of US political and military intrigue , they know where the skeletons are buried. If Washington stops the hush money , the fur will fly.

[kiniyow]

More Bombs was Dropped on Cambodia then Japan..If anything USA should Be Paying them !!!

[hawker9000]

5 hours ago, joecoolfrog said:

All true !

Unfortunately though these people are the legacy of US political and military intrigue , they know where the skeletons are buried. If Washington stops the hush money , the fur will fly.

LOL.   Yeah, like the skeletons haven't already been bleaching in the glaring sun for decades.  Even the dead horses have been beaten to compost at this point.  The U.S. has nothing left to lose on that score.  The only thing that's hushed any more is in whose pockets the foreign aid actually ends up.

 

So, turning deadbeat?  OK.  Fine.  Kiss the $75M per year in aid and maybe your export trade good-bye...   But don't worry.   China's still looking for new provinces.

 

 

[mrdome]

Cambodia will never pay this - nor should they. The Trump administration can happily go insert themselves

[sanukjim]

On 3/22/2017 at 3:44 PM, Saladin said:

I am surprised that Cambodia and Laos haven't already sued the US for $billions for the unexploded ordinance that still litters those countries and continues to cause death and injury. The US should take on the task of cleaning this up at US expense if for no other reason than to improve its current image in the world.

The US does spend money paying professionals for both the clearing of mines and other ordinances in SEA.

[Saladin]

The war has been over for a long time. The rest of the world should have shamed the US into using its wealth, expertise and personnel into cleaning this up years ago. If they want to be leaders of the Free World then they should act like they are.

[hawker9000]

The war has been over for a long time. The rest of the world should have shamed the US into using its wealth, expertise and personnel into cleaning this up years ago. If they want to be leaders of the Free World then they should act like they are.

Oh, so the mines were all planted by the U.S. Lol.

'Talk about fake news...

[Saladin]

Read some history.  To put the total payload of 2,756,941 tons (dropped on Cambodia) into perspective, the Allies dropped just over 2 million tons of bombs during all of World War II, including the bombs that struck Germany, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Cambodia may well be the most heavily bombed country in history - and they weren't our enemy.