Heated Debate Postpones Vote On Conscription
By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
CPP and SRP lawmakers hotly debated the draconian military conscription law at the National Assembly on Tuesday, though time ran out before they could vote on whether to adopt the controversial legislation.
CPP officials told parliament that the law is needed to protect Cambodia in times of war. But SRP lawmaker Eng Chhay Eang argued that it could be used to draft people opposed to Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party and that the government should instead focus on passing the long-awaited anti-corruption law.
The vote has been postponed until today.
CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said that he supported the conscription law, which would require all men between the ages of 18 and 30 to register and, if required, serve 18 months of military service.
"We must protect our country. If we don't protect our country there is nothing else for us to protect," he told parliament.
"We have peace, but we must also prepare for war," he added.
Cheam Yeap said the number of soldiers the Ministry of Defense would recruit would be based on the available budget, adding that young men will not be forced to join the military if they are an only child.
"We don't force the parents who have only one child to send the child to serve the military service," he said.
According to the draft law, after recruits have completed 18 months of military service, they may return to their civilian lives, but will be kept on the military's list of reserves and can be called back into service when needed.
If the law is passed, all men between the ages of 18 and 30 must register with the "authorities" and await notification by the Defense Ministry.
"People who are notified to serve the military and do not respond within 30 days will be regarded as criminals," the draft law states. "In times of peace they will face one year in prison and in times of war they will face three years in prison," the draft states.
"If they disable themselves or flee to a foreign country in times of peace they will face three months to two years in prison and during times of war will face six months to five years in prison," the draft adds.
Women aged between 18 and 30 may also join as volunteers, but cannot be conscripted, according to the draft.
CPP lawmaker Nguon Nhel said he firmly backed the law.
"Khmers are real warriors," he declared.
SRP lawmaker Yim Sovann, who chairs the Assembly's commission on national defense, boycotted the session. SRP President Sam Rainsy and his wife and fellow SRP lawmaker Tioulong Saumura walked out as the debate began.
Sam Rainsy could not be reached for comment after the debate.
"I boycotted because I don't want to be responsible for the conscription law," Yim Sovann said by telephone. He added that people should not be press-ganged into the military, and that the government should declare how many young men it will conscript each year.
Eng Chhay Eang said that he was concerned the government would use the law to round up its opponents.
"I am afraid that the government will draft people who they don't like and who don't support the ruling party," he told parliament.
"When we have peace we don't need to have a conscription law."
Funcinpec lawmaker Khieu San claimed that SRP lawmakers were a small group who "pollute the environment and are selfish."
Khieu San added: "What does the country do for you and what do you do for the country?"
Teenagers should not be out dancing in nightclubs, but should spend their time in military service instead, Khieu San said.
"If I had a son I would have him serve in the military," he said, adding that jobs for young men are scarce and the military can provide them with temporary employment.
CPP Defense Minister Tea Banh said the SRP was trying to mire the conscription effort in politics.
"[The SRP] makes political problems to obstruct the law," he told the Assembly.
"We have to sacrifice a little bit of our time to protect our country," he added.
CPP officials told parliament that the law is needed to protect Cambodia in times of war. But SRP lawmaker Eng Chhay Eang argued that it could be used to draft people opposed to Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party and that the government should instead focus on passing the long-awaited anti-corruption law.
The vote has been postponed until today.
CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said that he supported the conscription law, which would require all men between the ages of 18 and 30 to register and, if required, serve 18 months of military service.
"We must protect our country. If we don't protect our country there is nothing else for us to protect," he told parliament.
"We have peace, but we must also prepare for war," he added.
Cheam Yeap said the number of soldiers the Ministry of Defense would recruit would be based on the available budget, adding that young men will not be forced to join the military if they are an only child.
"We don't force the parents who have only one child to send the child to serve the military service," he said.
According to the draft law, after recruits have completed 18 months of military service, they may return to their civilian lives, but will be kept on the military's list of reserves and can be called back into service when needed.
If the law is passed, all men between the ages of 18 and 30 must register with the "authorities" and await notification by the Defense Ministry.
"People who are notified to serve the military and do not respond within 30 days will be regarded as criminals," the draft law states. "In times of peace they will face one year in prison and in times of war they will face three years in prison," the draft states.
"If they disable themselves or flee to a foreign country in times of peace they will face three months to two years in prison and during times of war will face six months to five years in prison," the draft adds.
Women aged between 18 and 30 may also join as volunteers, but cannot be conscripted, according to the draft.
CPP lawmaker Nguon Nhel said he firmly backed the law.
"Khmers are real warriors," he declared.
SRP lawmaker Yim Sovann, who chairs the Assembly's commission on national defense, boycotted the session. SRP President Sam Rainsy and his wife and fellow SRP lawmaker Tioulong Saumura walked out as the debate began.
Sam Rainsy could not be reached for comment after the debate.
"I boycotted because I don't want to be responsible for the conscription law," Yim Sovann said by telephone. He added that people should not be press-ganged into the military, and that the government should declare how many young men it will conscript each year.
Eng Chhay Eang said that he was concerned the government would use the law to round up its opponents.
"I am afraid that the government will draft people who they don't like and who don't support the ruling party," he told parliament.
"When we have peace we don't need to have a conscription law."
Funcinpec lawmaker Khieu San claimed that SRP lawmakers were a small group who "pollute the environment and are selfish."
Khieu San added: "What does the country do for you and what do you do for the country?"
Teenagers should not be out dancing in nightclubs, but should spend their time in military service instead, Khieu San said.
"If I had a son I would have him serve in the military," he said, adding that jobs for young men are scarce and the military can provide them with temporary employment.
CPP Defense Minister Tea Banh said the SRP was trying to mire the conscription effort in politics.
"[The SRP] makes political problems to obstruct the law," he told the Assembly.
"We have to sacrifice a little bit of our time to protect our country," he added.
10 comments:
Anti-Corruption laws is dying needed for Cambodia should be the top prioritry.
As I have said that since Sihanouk has brought KR regime into Cambodia, all properties ownerships have been in jeopadised. At present all powerful individuals have stolen people land and pushed all farmers into landless farmers. All corrupted leaders with their corrupted monies have pushed the prices of land into skyrocketing.
All kind of transaction have not provided economic benefit. All land owners have never paid a cent of tax, all profit from land and all services in land have not paid a cent in taxes. Unlike in western world, all land agents, capital gain tax, stamp duty taxes, rates etc... government have received billions of dollars from these taxes each year. But in Cambodia, the government haven't received a cent in tax on land. This land increase will impacted on Cambodia socio-economic development. People has no land to live and no land to work. On top of this no investor will be afforded to rent or buy land in Cambodia for their manufacturing bases.
In China, the government has successfully put land as State ownership. Noone can use the land more than 70 years ( for new buildings), for old one one, the lease will be less depend how many the building have been used. Therefore, there are no speculation on land and houses. All profit from appartment must pay 25% in tax from the profit.
Cambodian government should learn this methode to combat corruption. If the corruption monies cannot invest in land and other fix properties, and cannot deposit in foreign bank ( except Singapore and Hong Kong), corruption will be less and will not harm to livehood of small land owners.
The more i read about law proposed and enacted by national assembly, the angier i have over the lawmakers who deliberately whant to castract the cambodia peace and stability. CPP and pro CPP lawmakers is now manipulating the national assembly which is the higghest institution of Cambodia to serve their own interest which benefits only those families member. How about the 10million other living under 1$ income perday.
Like other laws such ash adultery, this law is designed to spoil the cambodian and create other opportunity to chao. be reminded that if a married med are legitimately force to serve the military duty, giving no chane to earn income to support the whole family, supposed that he has to repsonsible for his wife and children by providing them monthly 200$ coming from his job. What's up? Your law push them away.
This is yet another stick to wave in front of the khmer people to keep them in line. Anyone who doesn't follow the CPP/FUNCINPEC party line can be threatened by having their sons sent away to military camps.
Cheam Yeap says that we must protect our country, but there is no military threat to Cambodia by its neighbours. When he speaks these words he is speaking to his political friends (including FUNCINPEC) by saying "we must protect our country and the power we have in it by using military conscription as a weapon to keep dissenters in line....."
To say that teenagers should be in the military instead of out dancing makes these politicians robbers of cambodian youth
Who is Hunsen preparing war against anyway beside Cambodia's own citizens?
We know that the Cambodian army, if Hanoi wanted to, Hunsen and his CPP lawmaker would shake really quickly and give them right away. As for Laos, we know it is just now a split vassal of Vietnam and China. So of we can't go war with our brother communist because our big brother A Cong won't see that happen.
That only leave one opponent left that borders Cambodia that Cambodia would generally be worry about to defend itself against, That is Thailand.
What? Yeah right, as if those little canoe and wooden guns would scare the the Thai battleships and fighter royal aircrafts. Cambodia is outnumbered and out-gun by all it's neighbors. So there is no need to build a futile military that does nothing but suck up more of the country's economy and fuel more of it's corrupt leaders.
We will have peace and Law over corruption. How lucky we live in America right now, no conscription and we're fighting war in both Iraq and Afghan front. Cambodia is small ghetto little poor country that wants to think its tough. Quite down before you get a real punch will ya.
Its really simple. The more they (CPP) have under control the more (Army) they have to kill mothers, fathers, children . Turn brothers against sisters.... you get the point.
A classic social engineering. Tha'ts what Maoist theory did durong the revolution. And the Only War is a Civil War.
When stupid people rule a country, you get stupid laws.
I don't believe Khieu San speaks for the country interest rather to sweeten the CPP. Politician like should be booted out from politics. He sounded like a desperate man saying desperate things,trying to creat fights among us, to win a post. He is himself a selfish man. Cambodia does not need that we need real politicians who will care for us all and the future generations of our children.
I think you guys seriously need to get a job, be a waiter, grasscutter or even a hooker so you wont have time to dammpen others. Just get on with your miserable life.
Do you Mr. Khieu San borrow the words from late US president Kennedy. And quoted, "if I had a son, I would send him to the armed services". Pardon me, Khmer compatriots, " I would send my son to enlist only his name in the armed forces or at least, I keep him in the office or come back home for dinner.
I may have to prepare alot of $ to be sent to my nephews in Cambodia to avoid the red devil eyes and tail spin laws. Or at least give them money to buy food, mosquito net and medications, ect...
The good side of this saga is I hope my nephews will learn something of real life journey as I myself learned during Khmer Rouge.
Are they willing to pay the same as or more than what we earned today? Let's say $500 per month. When we finish duty, is the government responsible to find jobs for us again? Or their strategy is to remove occupied jobs from all young people and let them live unemployed. Without money, you won't have time to think about the nation but the stomach!!!
ahahahahhahahahhaha!
AH KHIEU SAN is a joker!"Teenagers should not be out dancing in nightclubs, but should spend their time in military service instead" he said! What about AH KHIEU SAN and what the fuck is he doing? This bastard stay home and play with his ball? Damn you!
Only a bastard like AH KHIEU SAN would send Cambodian teenagers to die in a wooden boats!
For AH TEA BANH, he said "We have to sacrifice a little bit of our time to protect our country"? This bastard had been a CPP Defense Minister for so many years and he had witnessed the Vietcong taking Cambodian land without firing a single shot and he didn't even protest to the world community for all the Vietcong violations of Cambodian sovereignty! This bastard just sit on his hand and agree with the Vietcong! If Cambodian people are looking at this bastard as role model is a very big mistake!This bastard is only a preacher not a doer!
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