Voice of America
Washington DC
13/11/2006
Last Friday, Cambodia’s Constitutional Council declared that the 'Freedom of Speech Law' passed in August 2005, is constitutional.
The newly adopted legislation restricts member of parliaments from abusing their parliamentary immunity, to express opinions that could be considered a violation of Article 5’s law.
Article 5 curbs lawmakers from “harming [other] individual’s dignity, social customs, public order, and national security”, said Constitutional Council’s chairman, Bin Chhin.
In light of the controversy surrounding the new law, on Monday’s show VOA Khmer invited Ou Virak, secretary general for Alliance for Freedom of Expression in Cambodia (APEC) to shed light on this topic for Hello VOA’s listeners.
Ou Virak echoes concerns that the legislation will weaken Cambodia's freedom of speech, particularly parliamentarians that have opposed the ruling party’s decisions.
Keo Remy, a legislator of the opposition party shares this sentiment, saying that "[Article 5] has certain biases that would restrict member of opposition parties from expressing their opinions freely”.
Meanwhile, Ou Virak urges fellow Cambodians to fight the new law, and demand that the Constitutional Council change its policy.
The newly adopted legislation restricts member of parliaments from abusing their parliamentary immunity, to express opinions that could be considered a violation of Article 5’s law.
Article 5 curbs lawmakers from “harming [other] individual’s dignity, social customs, public order, and national security”, said Constitutional Council’s chairman, Bin Chhin.
In light of the controversy surrounding the new law, on Monday’s show VOA Khmer invited Ou Virak, secretary general for Alliance for Freedom of Expression in Cambodia (APEC) to shed light on this topic for Hello VOA’s listeners.
Ou Virak echoes concerns that the legislation will weaken Cambodia's freedom of speech, particularly parliamentarians that have opposed the ruling party’s decisions.
Keo Remy, a legislator of the opposition party shares this sentiment, saying that "[Article 5] has certain biases that would restrict member of opposition parties from expressing their opinions freely”.
Meanwhile, Ou Virak urges fellow Cambodians to fight the new law, and demand that the Constitutional Council change its policy.
10 comments:
Is the constistutional council useful for cambodia and cambodian???? Most of its members are known as former extreme communist, corrupted bank manager and corrupted judges. Now they come to double stamp everything the government wants them to legalise.
REFORME THE CAMBODIA ROYAL POLICE FORCE PLEASE BEFORE MILLION WILL BE KILLED AGAIN!
THE PARIS AGREEMENT IS BREACHING LONG AGO ! WE PEOPLE OF CAMBODIA NEVER HAVE FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY OR RIGHT TO SPEAK !
Cambodia is no longer a democracy country since all of NATIONAL INSTITUTIONs are now no longer,
-Neutral
-Credible
-Reliable
They are all tools of Hun Sen for his multi-purpose.
Hun SEn has invaded to all National Institutions their,
-Independence decision
-Credible immage
-Reliable servant for all citizen.
You can count from Royal Palace, National Assembly, Senate, Army, Police, court, schools, Hospitals, Banks, etc........ are all serving Hun Sen interest.
Now even the opposition parties are also belonging to hun Sen because they cannot fully perform and express independently their opinion. Usually opposition leader is equal to Prime Minister at all right except ruling and opposing. But now opposition leader is being thread to flee the country all the time. His salary is also low, his participation is also very ignored by ruling party. In a democratic country, when the Nation is serving a state dinner or banquet to foreign President, the opposition leader must also be invited to deliver his speeches for the State dinner. How about Cambodia?
-Not only that, even every day walk of lives are also being controled by Hun Sen eg Karaoke, Dancer'costume, TV programme etc...
What the hell, this Prime Minister can control so much of people lives? Where on earth we can see this kind of Prime Minister? I wonder why, CAmbodia is at 156 among 160 countries of the worst!!!
Remember 50+1 from now on CCP can do whatever they want.
The Constitution of Cambodia itself is not workable, let alone the law that created by this constitution.
Constitution is supposed to be a legal binding agreemnent for people in the entire country, where any change will need to have a referendum, rather than by just a few bigmen to fit in their need, until then we look at the law.
DEAR EVERYONE
Please stop respond to YOUR OWN SHADOW. He tries to get your attention. Just ignore him and go on with your regular comments for the article. Thank you so much.
I am 2:01AM, I agree with you mr 5:12AM. That is why I call this second monarchy is an illegal one because it was created by Hun Sen and not by referendum. I felt very amage that Sihanouk was so intelligence but was so mediocre compare to Hun Sen. He allowed Hun Sen to put him back as a puppet King instead of a king of all Cambodian which back up by a referedum to re-instate the monarchy after three regimes changes. This stupidity is a historic record. Therefore he must be shamed to be that Kind of King and each time he must look at Hun Sen face before he start to talk about any issue. He is worst any dum person in Cambodia.
Hi 2:01 & 5:12AM,
You both hit the nails on the head. Another problem I noticed is where are the debate prior to the election? Mr. Rainsy is right when he said "Cambodia is a false democracy". "it a Banana State".
It's so ridiculous when they coined the constitution when the laws have no credibility! These Khmer officials should be poison with Botulism toxin. I am sorry to think of this way, but Khmers are suffering so much with these mother fuckers who rule the country.
They are the Servant of Satan (SS state).
The Article 5 is vague and it can be use as a political tool at anytime to arrest and supress anyone who opposes the CPP/HUN SEN run gov't.
When the leaders are stupit and short sighted; this is what we get.
HI KI-MEDIA AND ALL !
AFTER ONE WEEK OF TENSE AND RUDE DISCUSSION BETWEEN " THE PATRIOT & OWN SHADOW", OUR SURVEY CAME TO A FINAL CONCLUSION AS FOLLOWS:
1- ON KI-MEDIA PROFESSIONALISM OF CREATING AND REPORTING ABOUT POLITICS IN CAMBODIA:
-(i)FIRSTLY, YOUR REPORTS ARE RELEVANT AND CONFORM WHAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN IN THE PRESS ABOUT CAMBODIA POLITICS. THAT IS GOOD FOR ALL OF US KHMER LIVING INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE MOTHERLAND.
-(ii)IN YOUR TITLE IN ORANGE, YOU INTENDED TO SHOW YOUR POLITICAL PARTY' S CHOICE. IT IS NOT A PROBLEM BECAUSE FREEDOM OF BELIEF AND IT IS YOUR POLITICAL RIGHT TO SUPORT MR. SAM RAINSY' S PARTY.
-(iii) IN ORDER TO BE MORE PROFESSIONAL IN THE NET, IS KI-MEDIA LOOKING FOR A NEW DIRECTION?
2- ON KI-MEDIA READERS AND SUPPORTERS:
(i) WE CONCLUDED THAT MOST OF THE READERS AND SUPPORTERS LIVE ABROAD:US, AUSTRALIA, CANADA ETC...
(ii) DURING OUR ONE WEEK SURVEY, WE USED STRONG LANGUAGES AND WE APOLOGY IF WE MAY OFFENCE BUT IT WAS PURELY INTEND TO TEST THE WATER AND GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE KNOWLEDGE, EDUCATION AND CULTURE OF ALL OF US.
(iii) THE SURVEY SHOWS THERE ARE TWO CATEGORIES OF READERS:
- THE FIRST GROUP OF READERS ARE VERY SERIOUS ABOUT THEIR COMMENTS, VERY POLITE AND BALANCED VIEWS: THEY ARE CULTIVATED AND EDUCATED... BRAVO!
THEIR VIEWS COULD BE AS A LESSON FOR ALL AND THE SAKE OF THE COUNTRY. THEY ARE BRAVE AND PATRIOTIC. CAMBODIA IS PROUD OF THEM!!!!
- THE SECOND GROUP OF READERS ARE MORE OR LESS PATHETIC ABOUT GIVING COMMENTS ABOUT POLITICS IN CAMBODIA: TOO MUCH PASSION OF HATE BECAUSE OF POLITICS AND NOT ENOUGH MATURITY, EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE AND CULTURE. THEY MUST LEARN ABOUT THE SOCIAL WAY OF BEING A RESPECTABLE KHMER WITH OUR OWN WAY OF SAVOIR-VIVRE, OF COURTESY AND KINDNESS. PLEASE TRY TO FORGET ABOUT THE NEGATIVE ASPECT OF LIFE ABROAD AND GET MORE IN CONTACT WITH THE PREACHING AND LEARNING OF BUDDHISM. YOU WILL BE MORE RESPECTFUL BY YOUR OWN ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY.
IN CONCLUSION, WE AGAIN APOLOGY FOR THE ONE WEEK SURVEY THAT WE CONCLUDED RIGHT NOW.
LONG LIVE TO CAMBODIA AND CAMBODIAN LIVING INSIDE OR OUTSIDE!
STRONG LINKS AND BONDS OF SOLIDARITY BETWEEN KHMER AND KHMER!
MUTUAL RESPECT FOR THE SAKE OF THE MOTHERLAND!
THANK YOU FOR READING US! PLEASE FEEL FREE TO AGREE OR DISAGREE, OR TO INSULT. THIS IS JUST A SURVEY!!!!!!!
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