Cambodia dismisses US sanctions as ‘politically motivated’

By DAVID RISING and SOPHENG CHEANG
Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia is dismissing as “politically motivated” sanctions imposed by the United States on two senior defense officials over allegations of graft, accompanied by a broader warning of systemic corruption in the Southeast Asian nation. A Cambodian government spokesman says the country was not told in advance about the sanctions, which are related to construction financing at the Ream Naval Base — a project that has raised U.S. concerns over China’s involvement. The spokesman says the sanctions are “politically motivated, and it is not the position of Cambodia to talk with the U.S. on this matter.”