Through today's adoption of a common resolution on the situation ofpolitical repression in Cambodia, Members of the European Parliament call for Phnom Penh to take its responsibilities. The urgency resolution calls on the EU to "make continuation of its financial aid conditional upon an improvement in Cambodia's human rights record".
The resolution expresses concern over the fate of Sam Rainsy, the liberal and democrat opposition party leader of this Southeast Asian country who was sentenced in absentia to 18 months' imprisonment on defamation charges brought by the Prime Minister and the President of the National Assembly, and his followers, some of whom are in prison. This resolution calls for the judgment against him to be overturned and his parliamentary immunity restored.
Graham WATSON MEP, leader of the European Liberals and Democrats and sponsor of the motion called upon the government of Cambodia to abide by democratic rights and principles embodied in its constitution and in various international conventions. He reiterated its plea for the restoration of the parliamentary immunity of Cambodian opposition politicians and called for political tolerance and dialogue. "I believe that the continuing detentions of leading figures from the political opposition, trade unions, the media and NGOs and the use of criminal law in cases of expression of dissenting opinion on matters of politics and policy sends a worrying message to the Donor's Community on which the government relies for about 50% of his annual budget", he said.
Finally, the resolution calls for an ad hoc parliamentary delegation to besent to Phnon Pem in order to monitor the respect of human rights and ruleof law provisions in the EU-Cambodia Cooperation Agreement.
For more information, please contact: Neil Corlett: +33-3-88 17 41 67 or +32-478-78 22 84 Yannick Laude: +33-3-8827 76 or +32-495 227 837
Please read also: http://alde.europarl.eu.int/
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