By Uon Chhin
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
SRP officials and people living in Kauk Daung Chas village, Kauk Daung commune, Angkor Chum district, Siem Reap province, said that the names of a number of villagers were collected by the village chief and the village group chief. These people were questioned and sneered at because they voted for the Sam Rainsy Party.
Ms. Chheng Say, the first candidate on the SRP commune list for Kauk Daung commune, reacted to the action taken by the village chief and the village group chief by saying: “The election has ended already, there’s upheaval here, they (CPP village chief and village group chief) sneered at very poor people during the distribution of food, [they said:] ‘you are poor, when you vote for them (SRP), what will they help you?’ They threatened people, when I heard about a number of these comments, I replied that I (as a SRP candidate) did not give out help to ease any family or individual, because I did not occupy my position yet, I don’t have anything like all of you.”
Another woman told RFA about her questioning: “They (CPP village chief) said that you support this party (SRP) for what? I told them that I didn’t receive anything, it’s a poor party. They said that if this party is poor, why do you support it, if they (SRP) don’t give you money?”
Another woman reported the same problem she encountered also: “They (CPP village chief) said that villages which support the Sam Rainsy Party will not be allowed to participate with them [during the food distribution], they gave us a hard time, they told us all kind of things. It made me mad, I went to apply for my membership with SRP. The CPP insult people a lot.”
Tuon Uon, the Kauk Daung commune chief said that he heard from others about the distribution of gifts [by the CPP] following the election: “No, I did not know about it, because my mandate had ended, I did not do anything. But I heard from others, I did not do any research about this issue as the election was already completed, whoever they vote for, let it be, I am not going to review [anybody’s vote], for me, my mandate as commune chief is already over.”
Kul Panha, Comfrel executive director, said that this action is a serious violation which requires the immediate intervention from the Commune Election Committee (CEC) and the local police: “For the functioning of a free and fair election, following the outcome of the election for a political party, even though we know who support this or that party, these people should not be threatened, otherwise it will create fear during the election in Cambodia, it will create a bad atmosphere before and after the election, it will create a bad situation for our country.”
Villagers who are worried about their situation, are calling for all organizations involved to intervene to help protect them.
Ms. Chheng Say, the first candidate on the SRP commune list for Kauk Daung commune, reacted to the action taken by the village chief and the village group chief by saying: “The election has ended already, there’s upheaval here, they (CPP village chief and village group chief) sneered at very poor people during the distribution of food, [they said:] ‘you are poor, when you vote for them (SRP), what will they help you?’ They threatened people, when I heard about a number of these comments, I replied that I (as a SRP candidate) did not give out help to ease any family or individual, because I did not occupy my position yet, I don’t have anything like all of you.”
Another woman told RFA about her questioning: “They (CPP village chief) said that you support this party (SRP) for what? I told them that I didn’t receive anything, it’s a poor party. They said that if this party is poor, why do you support it, if they (SRP) don’t give you money?”
Another woman reported the same problem she encountered also: “They (CPP village chief) said that villages which support the Sam Rainsy Party will not be allowed to participate with them [during the food distribution], they gave us a hard time, they told us all kind of things. It made me mad, I went to apply for my membership with SRP. The CPP insult people a lot.”
Tuon Uon, the Kauk Daung commune chief said that he heard from others about the distribution of gifts [by the CPP] following the election: “No, I did not know about it, because my mandate had ended, I did not do anything. But I heard from others, I did not do any research about this issue as the election was already completed, whoever they vote for, let it be, I am not going to review [anybody’s vote], for me, my mandate as commune chief is already over.”
Kul Panha, Comfrel executive director, said that this action is a serious violation which requires the immediate intervention from the Commune Election Committee (CEC) and the local police: “For the functioning of a free and fair election, following the outcome of the election for a political party, even though we know who support this or that party, these people should not be threatened, otherwise it will create fear during the election in Cambodia, it will create a bad atmosphere before and after the election, it will create a bad situation for our country.”
Villagers who are worried about their situation, are calling for all organizations involved to intervene to help protect them.
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