Fearful of a mass protest which forced the toppling of Thaksin Shinawatra in Thailand, and the buckling of the king of Nepal, Hun Sen calls for the establishment of 'freedom parks' in all provinces. These parks would be limited and tighyly controlled by the government. (Photo: REUTERS/Chor Sokunthear)Friday, May 5, 2006
PM Calls for 'Freedom Parks' in All Provinces
By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
"In a democratic country people can express their opinions wherever they want to."
—Sam Rainsy,
Sam Rainsy Party Leader
—Sam Rainsy,
Sam Rainsy Party Leader
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday called for controversial "freedom parks" to be established in all provinces for political parties to hold gatherings, stating that this would help bolster Cambodian democracy.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Royal School of Administration, Hun Sen said provincial and municipal authorities should establish the parks, adding that this would give all political parties an equal chance to conduct their election campaigns.
"We do this not only for the sake of our generation but for our children's generation. We should create a good environment for a pluralism of parties," he said.
Under a proposed new law on public assembly, all spontaneous protests and demonstrations must be held in the government-designated parks. Advance permits must be obtained for other gatherings, and critics worry the parks will be established far from town centers.
Gatherings in the parks would be limited to 200 people and could not last longer than four hours, according to a recent draft of the law on public assembly. The current draft also states that the law does not apply to election campaign rallies.
Hun Sen also weighed in on the political upheavals in both Nepal and Thailand, where mass public protests forced their country's leaders to step aside.
Such a situation would not be allowed to happen in Cambodia, Hun Sen said, adding that the Constitution does not allow for parliament to be dissolved as it was in Nepal and Thailand.
"The Cambodian Constitution is very balanced," Hun Sen said.
Sam Rainsy, head of the party that bears his name, said the SRP opposes Hun Sen limiting the places where political parties and the general public are allowed to gather.
"In a democratic country people can express their opinions wherever they want to," Sam Rainsy said by telephone.
"Public places belong to the public," he said, adding that "freedom parks" will not improve the democratic process in Cambodia and that the government should simply ask protesters not to demonstrate violently.
"The freedom park is a restriction on freedom of expression," he said.
Free Trade Union President Chea Mony said unions are also opposed to the parks.
"The government wants to restrict people's freedom of expression," he said.
"I cannot accept to lose freedom of expression," he said, adding that he feared the government would also try to confine union activities to the parks.
Unions should be able to demonstrate near factories where their members work and not in far-flung parks, he said.
Koul Panha, director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, also said he was opposed to the parks.
"In the freedom parks, their voices will not be heard," he said.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Royal School of Administration, Hun Sen said provincial and municipal authorities should establish the parks, adding that this would give all political parties an equal chance to conduct their election campaigns.
"We do this not only for the sake of our generation but for our children's generation. We should create a good environment for a pluralism of parties," he said.
Under a proposed new law on public assembly, all spontaneous protests and demonstrations must be held in the government-designated parks. Advance permits must be obtained for other gatherings, and critics worry the parks will be established far from town centers.
Gatherings in the parks would be limited to 200 people and could not last longer than four hours, according to a recent draft of the law on public assembly. The current draft also states that the law does not apply to election campaign rallies.
Hun Sen also weighed in on the political upheavals in both Nepal and Thailand, where mass public protests forced their country's leaders to step aside.
Such a situation would not be allowed to happen in Cambodia, Hun Sen said, adding that the Constitution does not allow for parliament to be dissolved as it was in Nepal and Thailand.
"The Cambodian Constitution is very balanced," Hun Sen said.
Sam Rainsy, head of the party that bears his name, said the SRP opposes Hun Sen limiting the places where political parties and the general public are allowed to gather.
"In a democratic country people can express their opinions wherever they want to," Sam Rainsy said by telephone.
"Public places belong to the public," he said, adding that "freedom parks" will not improve the democratic process in Cambodia and that the government should simply ask protesters not to demonstrate violently.
"The freedom park is a restriction on freedom of expression," he said.
Free Trade Union President Chea Mony said unions are also opposed to the parks.
"The government wants to restrict people's freedom of expression," he said.
"I cannot accept to lose freedom of expression," he said, adding that he feared the government would also try to confine union activities to the parks.
Unions should be able to demonstrate near factories where their members work and not in far-flung parks, he said.
Koul Panha, director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, also said he was opposed to the parks.
"In the freedom parks, their voices will not be heard," he said.
13 comments:
"I thnk this crazy puppet leader, Hun SEN, just said what he wanted to say but he has never allowded people to do what they wnated to do"
Watch out hun sen where you're pointing at! strongman scared of uprise and he should know that people power out number arms force like any other nations. Well he should point to the hanio and put them on trial for genocide. Now he has dress up like Fidel Castro.
I don´t to hear every one called Hun Sen as a strong man. If we reasonably and psychologically he is truly an " unstable and weak man".
I MEAN I DON´T LIKE TO HEAR PEOPLE CALL THE PUPET HUN SEN AS STRONG MAN... (AS CORRECT TO MY ABOVE COMMENT
You are right. Hun Sen is not a strong man. He is as strong as the boss (The Viet) let him.
He has no common sense...this is just one of his nonsensessss...
ASOK
MA CENT STRONG IS NOOT A GOOD POSITIVE STRONG IN DEMOCRACY WORLD.
mEAN HE IS A BULLY, BAD BAD BOY (AA YOUKONG)
Right on!!! Hun Sen is as strong as the Yuons grant him.
It is so sad that Hun Sen is strongman among Khmers, but he is just a "mouse" to a "cat" Yuons. If and only if Hun Sen can turn Yuons into a mouse, then I am willing to call him a real Khmer strongman!!!!Else Hun Sen continues to represent a coward and what he stands for now is just Yuons's ideology.
"The Cambodian Constitution is very balanced," Hun Sen said.
Balance? Someone should tell hun sen that the scale is broken.
Mr. Hun Sen made another mistake. He is so weak that he could face to the public reaction against him. Normally, demonstration is not a coup d' eta. It just shows the weakness of the government. Government can earn fame by solving problems raised in the demonstration. For more than 20 years, Mr. Hun Sen has been sitting on top and looking down to the earth seeing his people(normally his dogs) become richer and richer. I wish Mr. Hun Sen step down and look up what he has done so far. This way he could see his people, real khmer people, are starving, having no shelters, dying from sickness, being taken their land away and ... He also sees his corrupted officials' activities clearly.
Or maybe hun sen is too old to learn new trick. I'm sure he know that is running for the youns and he should do something about it. Man hun sen could have been the famouse Khmer leader of all time if he could use his secret police to round up all youns agents and imposter living among him, but then again they are watching him too.
Bravo, i like your idea. Hun sen is using his police to arest and kill only the khmer today, but not youns.
I will call him the New Jayavarman VII if he can make Youn to be a "mouse". Or only if he has the willing to step down from the power.
It would be a turning point for Khmer if hun sen turned his head and point east
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