No Progress on Cambodian Corruption

Cambodia is now Southeast Asia’s most corrupt country, according to Transparency International’s annual corruption index.

It's worse than Laos and worse than Myanmar after in fell two places in the last year.

Cambodia ranks 160 out of the 175 countries in the report. It scored just 20 out of 100. Last year it scored 22. 

Compare that to the three least corrupt countries; New Zealand, Finland and Denmark, they scored 90. 

Or, compare that to Thailand with a score of 35 and 102nd place, or Vietnam who sit in 113th place with a score of 31.

The bottom 3 countries, tied in 175th place, Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia, had scores of just 8.

Constant Cambodian Coppers

"The police were untrained, under-equipped, extortionists...the most corrupt group in Cambodia."

Psychological Operations Report: Cambodia

Pentagon, 1959


Today, of course, the Cambodian police are still untrained, under-equipped, extortionists...the most corrupt group in Cambodia.

Cambodian Prisoners Doing More Porridge Than Necessary

Banteay Meanchey Prison during flooding

With putrid food, foul water and little access to health care Cambodian prisons are no place to be.

So you'd expect that the counting down of one's sentence is one of the few things that keeps Cambodian prisoners grinding through each day.

But for some release day can arrive, pass, and yet they still find themselves firmly behind bars.

The reason? Corrupt prison and court officials make up bogus excuses to further detain the prisoner and then solicit bribes from family members to secure the release of their loved one.

 Simply put it's a filthy "pay up,' or they stay banged up," extortion.

"I was a asked how much money I had. I have no money, I am so poor. I want the court to release my son," said Meas Bin after claiming she was asked to pay a bribe by Banteay Meanchey officials even though her son's prison term should have ended more than a week ago.

Several NGOs have had to intervene on a number of occasions to get Banteay Meanchey prison to release inmates who were serving time behind bars that they should not be enduring. You'd expect that the practice isn't confined just to that particular institution.