RELATION BETWEEN SRP AND CCHR
The following is the position of the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) vis-à-vis the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) as specified at a meeting of SRP leaders held in Phnom Penh on March 30, 2006.
1- Following repeated attacks by CCHR President Kem Sokha who accuses the SRP of “selling out” to the Cambodian People’s Party (CCP), “abandoning its democratic ideals” and “forgetting its activists assassinated” by the CPP, the SRP has decided to suspend its participation in public forums organized by the CCHR.
2- The SRP welcomes criticisms but it must reject groundless and most unfair accusations that are of obviously political nature. The CCHR is supposed to be a human rights organization not engaged in politics. It should concentrate on promoting human rights and denounce only those responsible for human rights violations, which is not the case of the SRP.
3- The CCHR, which receives funds from foreign governments to promote human rights in Cambodia as a neutral civil society organization, tends to increasingly behave as a political party with partisan and controversial methods such as assaults on potential political rivals, constitution of a nationwide network of militants similar to that of a political party, and inclination for a cult of personality.
4- The SRP will resume its participation in CCHR-organized forums when there are assurances that it will not get slandered any more and that its representatives at those forums will be given a chance to adequately respond to any attacks, which has not been the case so far.
5- Attacks from the CCHR started when the opposition SRP accepted to establish a dialogue with the ruling CPP earlier this year. CCHR President Kem Sokha pretends to ignore that in democratic countries in America and Europe, the parliamentary opposition normally talks with the ruling party about issues of national interest and the functioning of democratic institutions. For instance, as a result of this unprecedented dialogue in Cambodia, the SRP (24 seats out of 123 at the National Assembly) will control two out of nine parliamentary committees and will have representatives in all committees, while the opposition was excluded from all the committees before the dialogue. Besides, the SRP is also to be admitted into the National Election Committee.
6- Under the banner of a human rights organization named CCHR that receives funds from numerous sources from several countries, Mr Kem Sokha is reportedly preparing to launch a political party in the near future. Observers are surprised to see CCHR staff distribute photographs of Mr Kem Sokha in meetings presided by Mr Kem Sokha. In those meetings, Mr Kem Sokha speaks more about himself and his “democratic achievements” than about human rights per se. He attacks the SRP in a more and more virulent manner because he apparently aims at conquering the SRP electorate for his future political party (*). It is his right to form a political party and to try to seduce any electorate. But it is neither fair nor honest to unjustly slander the SRP which is currently fighting a difficult battle and to cheat donors by asking for funds under the pretext of "promoting human rights" but actually using them to serve personal and partisan ambitions. Cambodian law forbids funding of political parties by foreign donors.
7- Except for the CCHR, the SRP has always been closely cooperating with all organizations from the civil society that genuinely and selflessly promote human rights and advocate democracy: ADHOC headed by Mr Thun Saray, LICADHO led by Ms Pung Chiv Kek, Center for Social Development presided by Ms Chea Vannath, and numerous other organizations.
SRP Secretariat
1- Following repeated attacks by CCHR President Kem Sokha who accuses the SRP of “selling out” to the Cambodian People’s Party (CCP), “abandoning its democratic ideals” and “forgetting its activists assassinated” by the CPP, the SRP has decided to suspend its participation in public forums organized by the CCHR.
2- The SRP welcomes criticisms but it must reject groundless and most unfair accusations that are of obviously political nature. The CCHR is supposed to be a human rights organization not engaged in politics. It should concentrate on promoting human rights and denounce only those responsible for human rights violations, which is not the case of the SRP.
3- The CCHR, which receives funds from foreign governments to promote human rights in Cambodia as a neutral civil society organization, tends to increasingly behave as a political party with partisan and controversial methods such as assaults on potential political rivals, constitution of a nationwide network of militants similar to that of a political party, and inclination for a cult of personality.
4- The SRP will resume its participation in CCHR-organized forums when there are assurances that it will not get slandered any more and that its representatives at those forums will be given a chance to adequately respond to any attacks, which has not been the case so far.
5- Attacks from the CCHR started when the opposition SRP accepted to establish a dialogue with the ruling CPP earlier this year. CCHR President Kem Sokha pretends to ignore that in democratic countries in America and Europe, the parliamentary opposition normally talks with the ruling party about issues of national interest and the functioning of democratic institutions. For instance, as a result of this unprecedented dialogue in Cambodia, the SRP (24 seats out of 123 at the National Assembly) will control two out of nine parliamentary committees and will have representatives in all committees, while the opposition was excluded from all the committees before the dialogue. Besides, the SRP is also to be admitted into the National Election Committee.
6- Under the banner of a human rights organization named CCHR that receives funds from numerous sources from several countries, Mr Kem Sokha is reportedly preparing to launch a political party in the near future. Observers are surprised to see CCHR staff distribute photographs of Mr Kem Sokha in meetings presided by Mr Kem Sokha. In those meetings, Mr Kem Sokha speaks more about himself and his “democratic achievements” than about human rights per se. He attacks the SRP in a more and more virulent manner because he apparently aims at conquering the SRP electorate for his future political party (*). It is his right to form a political party and to try to seduce any electorate. But it is neither fair nor honest to unjustly slander the SRP which is currently fighting a difficult battle and to cheat donors by asking for funds under the pretext of "promoting human rights" but actually using them to serve personal and partisan ambitions. Cambodian law forbids funding of political parties by foreign donors.
7- Except for the CCHR, the SRP has always been closely cooperating with all organizations from the civil society that genuinely and selflessly promote human rights and advocate democracy: ADHOC headed by Mr Thun Saray, LICADHO led by Ms Pung Chiv Kek, Center for Social Development presided by Ms Chea Vannath, and numerous other organizations.
SRP Secretariat
(*) See http://www.cambodiapolitics.org/news_06/the_cambodia_daily_06/cd_06_03/29_cd2.pdf
1 comment:
I encourage the CCHR and SRP sit on the table and talk and adjust their mistake. Otherwise; both of them will end their political lives.
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