Gulf Today

Cambodian PM says EU holding country ‘hostage’

The European Union theatened in Odober to withdraw the duty-free Everything But Arms scheme (EBA), which benefits exports from Cambodia's garment and footwear sector

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PHNOM PENH: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen blasted the European Union on Saturday for holding the country “hostage” with threats to axe trade preference­s after it held elections with no credible opposition.

The EU threatened in October to withdraw the duty-free Everything But Arms scheme (EBA), which beneits exports from Cambodia’s garment and footwear sector, the largest formal employer.

The multi-billion dollar sector employs hundreds of thousands of labourers and is seen as one of the 66-year-old’s few vulnerable positions in a country he has run for nearly 34 years by building up vast patronage networks.

In recent months he has requested pardons for activists and eased up on the crippled opposition, which was banned in a Supreme Court ruling ahead of the July vote swept by Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party.

The moves were seen as concession­s to avoid any loss of the trade preference­s but Hun Sen has baulked at the idea of his hand being forced, and said so in his most direct comments on the issue yet in a meeting with former Irish prime minister Enda Kenny in Phnom Penh.

After bringing up several historical grievances with the bloc he said it was making another mistake by “using EBA as a threat to sanction Cambodia ... and take about 16 million Cambodians as hostage of the so-called EBA.”

Hun Sen’s spokesman conveyed the remarks to reporters. They were also posted on the leader’s oficial Facebook page and quickly picked up by statefrien­dly media.

He asked Kenny to pass along his message to the EU.

Hun Sen is known for iery speeches that toss aside diplomatic niceties, but he usually avoids calling out the trade scheme by name.

Last month he rapped Western government­s for pushing “democracy and human rights” on the country in comments believed to be tied to the EU threat.

Removing the preference­s is a long, drawn out process that would take several months. The ruling party swept all seats in the July vote turning Cambodia into a one-party state.

The Southeast Asian country enjoys the economic support of China, which in turn relies on its smaller ally to support it in regional disputes over control of the potentiall­y resource-rich South China Sea.

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Hun Sen

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