By Yun Samean and John Maloy
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Sam Rainsy admitted Monday that 10 of his own lawmakers voted in favor of the controversial law passed by parliament last week to limit the free speech of its members, despite the Sam Rainsy Party having officially branded it as unconstitutional.
The controversy over the law, which passed Wednesday, centers on a provision that makes it possible to prosecute legislators who abuse "an individual's dignity, public order, social customs or national security." The provision, in Article 5 of the law, allows for lawmakers to be detained immediately—without their immunity being stripped—for undefined "obvious crimes."
Sam Rainsy claimed that the 10 SRP lawmakers who voted for the law did so due to undefined "inconsistency" and confusion. The party will not discipline them because their mistake to vote for the law was a "mistake in good faith," he added.
SRP parliamentarian Eng Chhay Eng said he voted for the law even though he didn't support Article 5. He added that other articles in the law, which gave lawmakers pensions and funeral expenses, were good. He also maintained that Article 5 could be amended later.
SRP lawmaker Cheam Channy revealed Monday that he had voted for the law in part because he hadn’t paid any serious attention to Article 5. He added that he ultimately decided to vote yes because he saw that other SRP members were voting in the law's favor.
The official count of Wednesday's vote was 93 lawmakers for the law and one opposed to the law. SRP lawmaker Yim Sovann said he was the SRP’s no-voter. However, SRP lawmaker Keo Remy also maintained that he was in fact the SRP’s only dissenter.
Cambodian Center for Human Rights Director Kem Sokha said the SRP lawmakers who voted for the law appeared to be more focused on their own personal interests than in serving the country.
"They think of their benefits and not the people," he said.
Senior CPP lawmaker Ek Sam Ol held a press conference at the National Assembly Monday morning to defend the passage of the law. "The lawmakers voted to support the law in a responsible manner and in the spirit of freedom," Ek Sam Ol said, adding that the law was not designed to silence lawmakers.
"The law is a tool for the Kingdom of Cambodia to protect the rights, freedom and immunity of lawmakers," he added. Ek Sam Ol, who is also CPP legislation chairman, said that comments by US Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli, who last week said that the National Assembly had castrated itself with the legislation, were unacceptable.
US Embassy spokesman Jeff Daigle said the ambassador stands by his comments.
Ek Sam Ol also noted that both Funcinpec and SRP lawmakers voted for the legislation.
The controversy over the law, which passed Wednesday, centers on a provision that makes it possible to prosecute legislators who abuse "an individual's dignity, public order, social customs or national security." The provision, in Article 5 of the law, allows for lawmakers to be detained immediately—without their immunity being stripped—for undefined "obvious crimes."
Sam Rainsy claimed that the 10 SRP lawmakers who voted for the law did so due to undefined "inconsistency" and confusion. The party will not discipline them because their mistake to vote for the law was a "mistake in good faith," he added.
SRP parliamentarian Eng Chhay Eng said he voted for the law even though he didn't support Article 5. He added that other articles in the law, which gave lawmakers pensions and funeral expenses, were good. He also maintained that Article 5 could be amended later.
SRP lawmaker Cheam Channy revealed Monday that he had voted for the law in part because he hadn’t paid any serious attention to Article 5. He added that he ultimately decided to vote yes because he saw that other SRP members were voting in the law's favor.
The official count of Wednesday's vote was 93 lawmakers for the law and one opposed to the law. SRP lawmaker Yim Sovann said he was the SRP’s no-voter. However, SRP lawmaker Keo Remy also maintained that he was in fact the SRP’s only dissenter.
Cambodian Center for Human Rights Director Kem Sokha said the SRP lawmakers who voted for the law appeared to be more focused on their own personal interests than in serving the country.
"They think of their benefits and not the people," he said.
Senior CPP lawmaker Ek Sam Ol held a press conference at the National Assembly Monday morning to defend the passage of the law. "The lawmakers voted to support the law in a responsible manner and in the spirit of freedom," Ek Sam Ol said, adding that the law was not designed to silence lawmakers.
"The law is a tool for the Kingdom of Cambodia to protect the rights, freedom and immunity of lawmakers," he added. Ek Sam Ol, who is also CPP legislation chairman, said that comments by US Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli, who last week said that the National Assembly had castrated itself with the legislation, were unacceptable.
US Embassy spokesman Jeff Daigle said the ambassador stands by his comments.
Ek Sam Ol also noted that both Funcinpec and SRP lawmakers voted for the legislation.
4 comments:
Nice way to put it Mr. SRP. You've gotten your pensions & funeral cost taken care of, while the people are paying for "mistakes". They are suffering while the gov't are barking at each other. The VN infiltrate into the society w/o gov't intervention. Khmer people paying for their lives because the gov't won't give a damb about in any issues.
Yes, a mistakes -- huh.
Cela a bien prouvé que Messieurs les députés marionnettes ne pensent qu’à leurs intérêts personnels, on s’en fout complètement des soucis quotidiens du peuple.
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Messieurs les députés marionnettes s’engagent à voter n’import quels textes de loi, sans se rendre compte des conséquence pour la nation et pour le peuple, dès que l’on leurs propose un miette d’avantages sociaux. Et malheureusement, cela continue inexorablement dans notre cher pays.
That proved well that the deputies puppets thinks only of their personal interests, they don’t think anything the concern of the people khmer. Sirs the deputies puppets commit themselves voting importation which texts of law, without realizing of the consequence for the nation khmer and the people khmer, when they (Strongman H. S.) proposes thier a crumb of welfare benefits. And unfortunately, that continues unrelentingly in our dear country.
Teukphnèk khmer
The SRP is so easily confused.
If only they knew where they are going.
SiS
If the 10 SRP MPs couldn't read and understand Article 5 perfectly in Khmer then they shouldn't be an MP at all. That is just to show their incompetence right up to their party leader.
The people trusted you to be their ears, eyes and mouthpiece in the National Assembly, but you let them down very badly by giving your support to this dubious article designed to curb the freedom of expression. Even the U.S. Ambassador is more concerned about this than you as Khmer compatriots.
Do I smell money somewhere associated with this "honest mistake"? If your votes can be bought then you are no better than Hunsenpec!
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