From Swedish news: (Google Translate)

https://www.dn.se/nyheter/varlden/sveri ... demokrati/

Sweden withdraws bilateral assistance to Cambodia. The Cambodian government's interest in developing the country in a democratic direction is too small for aid to work, says Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Eriksson.


The decision to phase out aid to Cambodia is made at Thursday's government meeting.

- Sweden has been patient. But it is difficult to work broadly with aid in a country where interest is so weak for democracy and human rights, says Deputy Minister Peter Eriksson.


Sweden, through Sida, has given Cambodia SEK 200 million in aid per year. The aim has been to strengthen democracy in the country, improve opportunities for poor people to benefit from economic growth and improved environment.

But it is difficult to reach in a country where democratic development and the legal community are developing in the wrong direction, believes Peter Eriksson.

- There have been problems in Cambodia for a long time. It is one of the countries in the world where development has been most negative. Independent press has been discontinued, 32 radio channels have been shut down and leading opposition politicians stopped, he says.

In the future, Sweden will instead work for human rights and democracy in Cambodia through what is called the regional strategy for Asia.

- Through it, there are opportunities to support people at local level in civil society who work for human rights.

Cambodia is a country that has developed in an increasingly authoritarian direction in recent years, notes several non-profit organizations. When local elections were held in 2017, the main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, was dissolved, accused of preparing a coup against the government. The result is that all 125 seats in Parliament went to Prime Minister HE's party, the Cambodian People's party, when general elections were held the following year.

Human Rights Watch notes in its annual report on the country that the number of political prisoners in Cambodia has increased and that opposition politicians are either detained or are fleeing the country to avoid prison.


In addition, the trend towards reduced democracy has been accelerated even more during the corona crisis when the government introduced a new exception law that limits, among other things, freedom of expression. By pointing to that law, the regime has taken care to imprison critics.

"The Cambodian government shows no tendency to want to reverse the development and the space for trusting cooperation with the Cambodian state is now considered to be very limited," the government notes in its supporting documents.

In recent years, China has plowed down large sums in Cambodia. China is the largest foreign investor in Cambodia and has also lent large sums to projects under the new Silk Road, China's huge infrastructure investment that will link roads and sea connections in much of the world. Cooperation with China makes it difficult for democratic development in Cambodia, says Peter Eriksson.

- The regime in Cambodia has chosen to go the same route as China. People are increasingly leaning towards China and developing into a more authoritarian state. When the ambitions to go in a democratic direction are so low, it becomes difficult to cooperate.

Good for Sweden. $20million dollars removed from the government and given directly to the people who will pressure for change. More importantly they have called them out - you are little China, there is no democracy and everybody knows it.

I wonder who will follow suit?