Groups Want US Help in Improving Transparency in Extractive Industries

Groups Want US Help in Improving Transparency in Extractive Industries

Cambodian anti-corruption advocates say they want the US government to help them push for transparency in the extractive industries, as ongoing mining continues to disrupt the lives of many Cambodians. At least 120 companies, most of them Chinese, have obtained mining licenses in the last decade, as they seek precious metals, oil and gas in Cambodia. But information on the activities of the companies, the resources they pull, the money they make, or the money they spend is difficult to uncover. Meanwhile, much of their activities take place in poor communities, leading to problems for villagers, said Lay Khim, an extractive industries program coordinator for Oxfam America. (Sok Khemara, Washington)