The responsibility of everyone in Cambodian society, especially government officials, to work together to battle corruption was the message of a rally Sunday that drew about 200 people to Wat Botum, including opposition leader Sam Rainsy.
The event, organized by the Cambodian Independent Watch Committee on Corruption, a coalition of 18 NGOs, included a number of speeches on the dangers of corruption and a humorous skit depicting corrupt government officials exploiting poor farmers.
Banners and posters around the stage displayed slogans such as “Corruption is a crime” and “Corruption breeds poverty.”
Lao Mong Hay, director of the Khmer Institute for Democracy, a member of the NGO coalition, said corruption is an issue that touches every member of society.
Some Cambodian officials go into politics only for power or financial gain, he said.
“Our society is corrupt, and the intellectuals are the most corrupt because they dare not speak out,” Lao Mong Hay said.
