Original report from Phnom Penh
23 November 2007
The fledgling Human Rights Party said Friday supporters of the ruling Cambodian People's Party were tearing down party signs and preventing public assembly in cities and provinces across the country.
"Some authorities threatened that if the party dares set up its sign, they will arrest [the party members], and some other communes hired people with 10,000 riel or 20,000 riel each to come protest with sticks in their hands," said Human Rights Party Vice President Keo Remy.
"They used both their own threats and a police crackdown, and party signs were stolen," he said. "That is real discrimination against the Human Rights Party, but other parties' sign set-up is fine. It seems that they are worried over the increasing popularity of the party."
Such incidents are widely reported by smaller parties ahead of elections and often constitute local acts of intimidation. Bickering over party signs has led to violence in past election periods.
"Threats, vandalism and not maintaining safety and security for other political parties causes political discrimination," said Koul Panha, director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections. "It will affect the policies of the election process in various cities and provinces across the country."
"Some authorities threatened that if the party dares set up its sign, they will arrest [the party members], and some other communes hired people with 10,000 riel or 20,000 riel each to come protest with sticks in their hands," said Human Rights Party Vice President Keo Remy.
"They used both their own threats and a police crackdown, and party signs were stolen," he said. "That is real discrimination against the Human Rights Party, but other parties' sign set-up is fine. It seems that they are worried over the increasing popularity of the party."
Such incidents are widely reported by smaller parties ahead of elections and often constitute local acts of intimidation. Bickering over party signs has led to violence in past election periods.
"Threats, vandalism and not maintaining safety and security for other political parties causes political discrimination," said Koul Panha, director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections. "It will affect the policies of the election process in various cities and provinces across the country."
2 comments:
The best solution to this is to ban all parties' signs. Freaking people are putting up sign everywhere and disrespect everyone right who is not into politic.
If the intimidation starts from now, what will happen at the election campaign days? Since 1993 every election started with bickering, threatening, violent shooting, assassinating, and widespread fraud. How long will all of these actions last? 100 years ahead? Our government should practice free and fair election in our country in order to give a chance to different people with different ideas and policies to rule our country. Without change of government, democracy will not grow. Today our economy moves forward, but our democracy moves backward comparing to the 1993 election.
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