Khieu Kanharith provides clarifications to the NA committee on the Global Witness case02 July 2007
By Sok Serei Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
On Monday, the National Assembly (NA) committee on foreign affairs and international cooperation, and information, summoned Khieu Kanharith, the Minister of Information (MoInf), to provide clarifications on the reason why the MoInf banned the publication of the Global Witness report in Cambodia. The report accused relatives of Cambodian government leaders, and high ranking government officials, of involvement in illegal logging in Kompong Thom province.
SRP MP Son Chhay, chairman of the above NA committee, told RFA on Monday that the MoInf ban of the report in unacceptable.
Son Chhay said: “The MoInf banned the publication of the Global Witness (report) about illegal logging in Tumring and at other national parks, involving government officials, this is a problem which we want to have more information about.”
Regarding this issue, Khieu Kanharith said: “In summary, this is an explanation to the NA question, they must understand a lot about what the MoInf must perform, and what else must be planned (by the MoInf) to be performed in the future.”
After direct clarification from Khieu Kanharith, Son Chhay said that he agreed with some of the points in the publication reviews, but he does not agree on the ban of research documents, including the Global Witness report which (the government tries to) link to national security matters.
Son Chhay added: “There must be some reviews of published information, but in the past activities, we did not see that it (Global Witness report) affects the national security.”
Dr Pung Chiv Kek, President of Licadho human rights organization, said that Cambodian people have the rights to freely receive information. “In order for our country to have democracy, there should not be any ban in the publication of information.”
On 8 June, the MoInf sent a declaration to all newspaper and magazine publishers to stop all publications of the Global Witness report. In this banned report, the London-based Global Witness leveled serious accusations on the relatives of the prime minister of Cambodia, on the relatives of Chan Sarun, the minister of agriculture, and on the relatives of Ty Sokhun, the director of the Cambodian forestry department, saying that they are involved in illegal logging in Cambodia.
These accusations were met by rebuttal claims from the accused government officials who said that the accusations were baseless.
SRP MP Son Chhay, chairman of the above NA committee, told RFA on Monday that the MoInf ban of the report in unacceptable.
Son Chhay said: “The MoInf banned the publication of the Global Witness (report) about illegal logging in Tumring and at other national parks, involving government officials, this is a problem which we want to have more information about.”
Regarding this issue, Khieu Kanharith said: “In summary, this is an explanation to the NA question, they must understand a lot about what the MoInf must perform, and what else must be planned (by the MoInf) to be performed in the future.”
After direct clarification from Khieu Kanharith, Son Chhay said that he agreed with some of the points in the publication reviews, but he does not agree on the ban of research documents, including the Global Witness report which (the government tries to) link to national security matters.
Son Chhay added: “There must be some reviews of published information, but in the past activities, we did not see that it (Global Witness report) affects the national security.”
Dr Pung Chiv Kek, President of Licadho human rights organization, said that Cambodian people have the rights to freely receive information. “In order for our country to have democracy, there should not be any ban in the publication of information.”
On 8 June, the MoInf sent a declaration to all newspaper and magazine publishers to stop all publications of the Global Witness report. In this banned report, the London-based Global Witness leveled serious accusations on the relatives of the prime minister of Cambodia, on the relatives of Chan Sarun, the minister of agriculture, and on the relatives of Ty Sokhun, the director of the Cambodian forestry department, saying that they are involved in illegal logging in Cambodia.
These accusations were met by rebuttal claims from the accused government officials who said that the accusations were baseless.
8 comments:
AH Khieu Kanharith is AH LOP LOP LOP! What about the fucken Thaicong government sends their Thaicong black uniform armies into Preah Vihea and isn't that a violation Cambodian sovereignty and damage Cambodian national security already?
AH Khieu Kanharith mother fucker needs to go fuck more Vietcong bitches and drink more wood alcohols to cure his mental illness!
It is such a shame for Cambodia to have AH KHIEU KANHARITH to play the role of Cambodian leader! This is the Vietcong hand pick official and please don't expect much from this mother fucker and at the same time never let him have a piece of mind either!
I found a loop-hole that will drive these people crazy! :), attached two copies of the report, Khmer and English and spam it to every government officials who favors this banning (CPP).
:) Person with that expertise and emails of those leaders will get my support and admiration. They have enough time drive us crazy with their stupid harmful policies and illegal deals, its pay back time from the Khmer people.
No more blood revolution. Technology and information revolution! :)
Global Witness reports reflect very well the systematic rampant corruption plaguing the Country, ruled by a dictator and his maffia entourage.
The ban of the GW reports by the Government confirms the accuracy of the reports.
hey how about KI-MEDIA provide us with those e-mails?
Chain by two words "National Security"
What Animal Khiev Kanharith has said, is to show to world that Cambodia is presently being controled by a group of Taliban style Government. The leaders of the group can destroy the country at any level, the Government must say that it is good and noone can have the information of the level destroyed the country by their leaders and families. The matter is being handled totally different from a civilised society. At present, in any country, if there is information to lead that someone in the Government has committed any offense to the national economy, national environment, that person must stand down for full investigation. The Government can not support any criminal activity committed by any member of the government. Therefore Chan Sarun must step down without question to ask while full investigation must have to follow. If he is to be found to have committed that large scales of environment destruction, he should be prosecuted. In this report, we also can learn that how Seng Keang can make her fortunes through kidnapping investors who have invested Kingwood Comapny. I have been passed this company. I found that the investors must have invested a lot of millions in building the infrastructure and the factory. These investors have end up with their lives in doubt in the hand of Seng Keang. It is not only a problem of National destruction from Hun Sen family but a criminal activity involving kidnapping a large scale of investors in Cambodia. With this kind of cover up of criminal activity, who dare to invest in Cambodia????????????
I support poster 10:23AM.
The banning of information of global witness is to cover up many important criminal activities committed by Hun Sen family and Chan Sarun families.
1-To cover up the destruction of Cambodian forest by these families.
2-To cover up the environment destruction by these families.
3-To cover up the destruction of eco-system of Cambodia by these families.
4-To cover up kidnapping of investors who have put all their monies to build Kingwood factory.
Where are these investors at present? They have lost millions of dollars in Cambodia and now they have lost their lives as well in the hand of Seng Keang and her brother.
With limited intelligent personels working under the current regime, the word national security is used to evade from further involvement.
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