Defence Minister: Demolition of US-funded Defense Facility in Ream Not a Political Gesture

• 5 October 2020
• Local News
• 3415 Views

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Samdech Tea Banh clarified that the demolition of a US-funded Defence Facility in Ream last month is for development purpose with no intention to please any countries, according to AFP on 04 October.

This explanation was made in response to the rumours claiming the demolition of this US building is a Cambodian government political gesture leaning toward China. The reason is that the demolition happened to occur at the same when the US and China are having a geopolitical fight over the Dara Sakor Project in Koh Kong province. (Read more)

Samdech Tea Bah said that the demolition is not biased to any sides or shows any political gestures, but just to upgrade the facility. “We relocated the facility to a new spot. We cannot keep it anymore and the building is already old,” he said.

He added that the facility will be built at a new site about 30km north of Ream coast.

The development of Ream naval base has always been a controversial issue. The Wall Street Journal last year reported that the Cambodian government had made a secret deal to allow China warships to dock at the Ream naval base. However, the Cambodian government denied all the allegations.

Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen said in June this year that Cambodia does not allow a foreign military presence in its territory and Cambodia also does not place military in any foreign countries either.

“We have the rights to do what we want to achieve such as the Maritime Centre, we moved it from former location to a new location. Please our foreign friends, if you want to join it, please put your money in this Maritime Centre. So stop accuse us!” PM Hun Sen said.

Besides the issue at Ream, last month China and the US entered another dispute over the multi-billion-dollar Dara Sakor Project by Union Development Group (UDG) in Koh Kong province. The US Treasury Department issued a statement imposing sanctions on the UDG and its Dara Sakor Project over human rights abuse and corruption. Cambodia, again, has become a victim of the conflict. (Read more)

• Policy and Strategy
• land development and policy