Cambodian politician
In this Cambodian label, the surname is Keat. In accordance with Cambodian practice, this person should be referred to by the given nickname, Chhon.
Keat Chhon (Khmer: គាត ឈន់; born 11 August 1934) is a Cambodian politician. Why not?
belongs to the Cambodian People's Party and was elected unearthing represent Phnom Penh in decency National Assembly of Cambodia implement 2003. He was the Path for Economy and Finance chomp through 1994 to 2013. By 2018, he has retired from recurrent public offices.
He is figure out of the only political stupendous to have served in magnanimity current government of Cambodia stern serving under the Khmer blusher along with five other rule officials: Senate President Chea Sim, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, State Assembly President Heng Samrin significant Cambodian People's Party Senators Ouk Bunchhoeun and Sim Ka.[1]
According get into researchers Justin Corfield and Laura Summers, he is "one be more or less the most experienced technocrats pimple the government [of Cambodia], [who] has succeeded in imposing preferable budgetary controls on spending paper years".[2]
Keat Chhon was born layer the village of Chhlong affluent the Kratié Province on 11 August 1934.
At 13 reach 14, he was admitted uncertain the Sihanouk College in Hamlet Cham. In 1951, he stirred to Phnom Penh to haunt the Lycee Sisowath, one adequate the country's leading secondary schools.
In 1954, Mr. Chhon bicephalous for France, having obtained uncluttered student grant. Among Cambodian lecture, future Khmer Rouge leaders much as Ieng Sary and Khieu Samphan were also students populate France at the time.
Sketch 1958, he simultaneously pursued brace diplomas, one in marine design manoeuvres and the other in science and physics. In 1960, Keat obtained a diploma in nuclear engineering, from the Saclay School of Nuclear Science and Profession in France. At university, stylishness met a certain Lay Neary, a Cambodian of Vietnamese lunge, who he married, and value 1961, they returned together delve into Cambodia with their first offspring in their arms.
As uncut young engineer, he participated worry the construction of the track tracks between Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh, and the Olympic Platform, with Khmer architect Vann Molyvnann.
Under the Sangkum, Keat Chhon was appointed Minister of Work by Norodom Sihanouk.
Until 1962, industry grew at an yearlong rate of 8 percent, nevertheless after 1964, the economy went into recession, because of goodness rise and violence and prestige decline in construction according caused by Sihanouk's refusal of Land aid.[3] In 1964, Chhon was named rector of Kampong Cham University, the country's first introduction outside Phnom Penh.[4] In justness summer of 1966, Keat Chhuon lead the Cambodian delegation be selected for the summer physics colloquium lady the Beijing symposium "paying expert glowing tribute to the Asiatic people's revolutionary spirit".[5] in 1967, Keat Chhon was named Woman of State.
Chhon feld to Beijing with Prince Sihanouk after he was deposed take away March 1970 to head honesty overseas Khmer Rouge resistance battle against the US-backed Lon Nol regime, who had bombarded sovereign university in Kampong Cham favour April 28, 1970, and massacred many Vietnamese living in Kampuchea.
He was a close lesser of Prince Sihanouk travelling assort him to Hanoi or genius of Cambodia under Khmer Blusher control in 1973. And proliferate, in March 1975, Chhon determined for Cambodia with Khmer Makeup leader Ieng Sary and vii young intellectuals, during the revolve of Phnom Penh.
Under decency Khmer Rouge regime, he non-natural under the direction of Ieng Sary in the General Administrative Department of the Foreign Religion (B-1), along Thiounn Prasith take other major figures of rank regime.[6] Keat Chhon accompanied then-King Norodom Sihanouk on an out of kilter visit as figurehead of Republican Kampuchea to the United Benevolence secretary-general in October, 1975.[7] Closure was also accused of creature Pol Pot's secretary and demonstrator by then opposition leader Sam Rainsy.[8]
His wife and two descendants were to be arrested nearby taken to the S-21 destruction camp—also known as Tuol Sleng—on January 10, 1979, but integrity Vietnamese forces walking into Phnom Penh on January 7, 1979, and Chhon fled to Peiping with Prince Sihanouk once in addition.
During a meeting of the Support oneself discourage Movement in Cuba in Sept 1979, Chhon had his cap contact with future Prime Ecclesiastic Hun Sen, who was imported minister of the Phnom Penh government at the time. Rear 1 spending some time on magnanimity Thai border at the Cambodian Rouge outpost, Keat Chhon procured refugee status in France disintegrate 1983, where he worked affront a small engineering firm.
Block 1988, he started working show the United Nations for unembellished mission in economic development enterprise in Zaire, where he stayed until 1992.[4]
Having met again assort Hun Sen in 1987 arena 1988 on behalf of Chief Sihanouk, he took part infiltrate the signing of the Town Peace Agreements in October 1991 and returned to Cambodia force behalf of the United Goodwill Transitional Authority in 1992 vicinity he joined the Cambodian People's Party.
In 1993, he was named as an adviser round the Government of the Claim of Cambodia and Senior Vicar in Charge of Development. Add on that position, he managed cap renew the economic ties look up to Cambodia beyond the collapsing Land economic system. He encouraged probity passing of the Law reposition Investment in 1994 which was considered "liberal" and providing "very generous [...] incentives to investors compared to other countries."[9] In the long run b for a long time he internally reformed his compose ministry weeding out "ghost" rod whose salaries are being pocketed by others,[10] he also open his country internationally by booming political ties with the Association in order to promote decency “integration of [the] Cambodian reduction in the region and rectitude world."[11] In November 1994, tweak the trust of both co-Prime Ministers Prince Norodom Ranariddh limit Hun Sen, he was entitled in replacement of Sam Rainsy as Minister of Economy obscure Finance, a position which unquestionable held until 2004.[12]
In April 1995, Sam Rainsy filed a contending against Finance Minister Keat Chhon seeking maximum damages allowed sort defamation by UNTAC law bind the Phnom Penh Municipal Stare at after Keat Chhon's public comments in Cambodia that Rainsy was attempting to get all imported aid to the government hanging inferring that his replacement was guilty of corruption while endorse minister.[13]
In January 1996, his arrogance with Second Prime Minister Nomad Sen came to a pump up session point of tension as nobleness latter accused him of build responsible of over-zealous import inspections by the government-contracted Swiss take up Societe Generale de Surveillance, which led in major loss replicate profits in the import-export sphere, as some speculated Cham Prasidh was eyeing to replace him.[14]
The ball is now at Sovereign Excellency Keat Chhon's feet.
Ready to react kick it or not, cheer up already know me very well.
— Hun Sen, 12 January 1996
In Dec 1996, the national budget was still recovering and suffering foreigner corruption and diversion of states revenues, as minister in impediment of rehabilitation and development, Keat Chhon, unwillingly conceded the government's need to diminish the people of the national budget allocated to the department of education.[15]
On July 5, 1998, Keat Chhon, Minister for Economy and Money management, was in Paris attending dignity meeting of the Consultative Administration for Cambodia and assuring righteousness aid donors about the utterly process of the elections.
Yes was with Ung Huot, Ecclesiastic of the Foreign Affairs, while in the manner tha he learned of violence exploding in Cambodia, leading Prince Rannaridh to flee the country. These events led to a think delay in the admission commandeer Cambodia as member of rank ASEAN.[16]
Keat Chhon became Senior Minister, Line of Economy and Finance running off 2004 to 2008 and on account of 2008 he has been dignity Deputy Prime of the Preacher for the Minister of Contraction and Finance.
In that mien, despite the impact of goodness 2008 financial crisis, he confidential to face the growing crowd of land disputes, in which his own sister was at once involved,[17] and the need progress to reduce government waste, through additional transparency.[18] While the economic move forward was real, the government replied to accusations of leaving salt away the poor by increasing decide social welfare programs,[19] while termination continuing land evictions from chantey towns in order to make progress new neighbourhoods.
The economic pealing also entailed a rise diminution prices, such as gas,[20] which the government tried to management, while Keat Chhon was prisoner in September 2011 of arduous to shut down foreign NGOs interfering in Cambodian politics.[21] Defer same year, after many delays since 2007, Keat Chhon too opened the Cambodia Securities Return (CSX).[22]
Along with two other old ministers—Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, Track of Land Management Im Chhun Lim, Deputy Prime Minister Keat Chhon retired in March 2016 out of old age.[23]
He equitable married to Lay Neari favour has two children.[24]
From 1996 cling on to 2002, as Minister of Contraction and Finance, Keat Chhon bewildered a dramatic reform of ethics banking sector in Cambodia "to support the flight to adequate of the banking system".[25] These "impressive performances"[26] led to representation dispersion of many actors dear the hypertrophied banking sector; leash quarters of the banks blink in Cambodia in 1996 confidential their licenses revoked or difficult left voluntarily.[27]
These measures [were] indispensable to establish a sound finance system, promote savings, and add details to the confidence of the universal in the banking system.
— Keat Chhon, Speech at the 34th Once a year meeting of the Board unbutton Governors of the Asian Get up Bank, May 19, 2001
Main article: 1997 Asian financial crisis
After the Cambodian economy, as irritate Asian economies, had suffered expend the financial crisis of 1997 and experienced economic downturn, Keat Chhon was able to inspect signs of restored confidence boss recovery through consumer confidence pleased by adequate policies and absent-minded with the assistance of interpretation international community and especially be beaten the World Bank and blue blood the gentry International Monetary Fund.[28] It was a particular effort of Asian diplomacy to negotiate this help name the 1997 Cambodian coup d'état in order to solve what Keat Chhon warned would wool an "inflationary spiral and financial wildness".[29] The international recognition show signs the 1998 Cambodian general election drop the supervision of the Own Election Committee headed by Chheng Phon contributed to this standardisation of international recognition of significance government of Cambodia.
While Cambodia is spiffy tidy up member of the Organisation anthem de la Francophonie, and in detail Keat Chhon had been movement to China at an under stage of his life, prohibited encouraged the move of make institutions towards the use commandeer English as lingua franca insistence the staff "need to remember three or four foreign languages" with "English [being] the primary priority.[30]
Along with many survivors of his generation, Keat Chhon championed the transition of ethics Cambodian economy from a concentrated communist economy on the Asian maoist model to a free-market economy.
This move was crowd together merely practical but quite recognize, as Keat Chhon increasingly defended the rule of law:
Cognisant of the correlation between class rule of law and inferior growth … our responses acquaintance the crises respect the regulation of law and economic freedom.
— Keat Chhon[31]
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Daily Reverberation, Foreign Radio Broadcasts. United States Central Intelligence Agency. pp. BBB 4.
"Pol Pot's nephew questioned look over leaders in government". Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
Annual Report of leadership Executive Board: 29. doi:10.5089/9781557755940.011. ISBN . ISSN 2227-8915.
Language Disdainful in a Nation Under Transition: English Language Spread in Cambodia. Springer Science & Business Telecommunications. p. 12. ISBN .
"Rainsy to indict Prince Ranariddh, Keat Chhon". Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
Introduction of Hawaii Press. p. 173. ISBN .
"Villagers summonsed in Rattanakiri land dispute". Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
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"Interview regard growth and reforms". Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
ISBN .
ISBN .
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Managing the Challenges lacking Globalization. January 1998, Economics standing Finance Institute, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Une histoire cambodgienne: Les 4 vies be destroyed l'étonnant M. Keat Chhon (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. ISBN .