Social activists deliver bundled copies of an anti-corruption petition to the country's parliament in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, May 16, 2008. Cambodian social activists pressed lawmakers on Friday to take real and serious steps to enact a long-awaited law for combating widespread corruption in the impoverished Southeast Asian country. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Social activists deliver bundled copies of an anti-corruption petition to the country's parliament in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, May 16, 2008. Cambodian social activists pressed lawmakers on Friday to take real and serious steps to enact a long-awaited law for combating widespread corruption in the impoverished Southeast Asian country. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)Original report from Phnom Penh
16 May 2008
A million signatures calling for legislation to curb corruption reached the National Assembly Friday, but lawmakers were loathe to promise anything in its wake.
The petition, which collected the signatures over several months, was brought by 150 marching anti-corruption activists who carried banners and stickers and was flanked by a troupe of dancers.
The petition was received by Khoun Sodary, head of the National Assembly’s Commission on Human Rights, “but she made no promises,” Thun Saray, director of the rights group Adhoc, said Friday.
The petition should be a wake-up call to any political party competing in July’s general election, he said.
“If the people’s demands are not met by the fourth mandate of the National Assembly, the people will consider what needs to be done in the fifth mandate of the National Assembly,” he said.
Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay said the petition was very important, but he criticized the National Assembly’s inability to promise action.
“We regret not having the good will to implement the petition,” he said.
Human Rights Party Vice President Keo Remy said the party fully supports the petition and promised it would act if given the mandate by a political win in July.
The Cambodia Watchdog Council, led by union representatives Rong Chhun and Chea Mony, called on voters to make a clear decision in July on parliamentarians with a will to protect the interests of society.
The government has repeatedly promised Cambodians and donors alike the passage of an anti-corruption law, but it has remained in the draft stage for years.
The petition, which collected the signatures over several months, was brought by 150 marching anti-corruption activists who carried banners and stickers and was flanked by a troupe of dancers.
The petition was received by Khoun Sodary, head of the National Assembly’s Commission on Human Rights, “but she made no promises,” Thun Saray, director of the rights group Adhoc, said Friday.
The petition should be a wake-up call to any political party competing in July’s general election, he said.
“If the people’s demands are not met by the fourth mandate of the National Assembly, the people will consider what needs to be done in the fifth mandate of the National Assembly,” he said.
Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay said the petition was very important, but he criticized the National Assembly’s inability to promise action.
“We regret not having the good will to implement the petition,” he said.
Human Rights Party Vice President Keo Remy said the party fully supports the petition and promised it would act if given the mandate by a political win in July.
The Cambodia Watchdog Council, led by union representatives Rong Chhun and Chea Mony, called on voters to make a clear decision in July on parliamentarians with a will to protect the interests of society.
The government has repeatedly promised Cambodians and donors alike the passage of an anti-corruption law, but it has remained in the draft stage for years.
8 comments:
A million signatures calling for legislation to curb corruption reached the National Assembly Friday, but lawmakers were loathe to promise anything in its wake.
1st of all, there will not be any Parliment session before the election.
At the meant time the petitions would be just sat there until the election is over and a new government will be formed. Therefore, don't believe that any lawmaker would want to promise at this stage and some of them might not be too sure that they would be back and represent their constituency either.
Son Chhay said the petition was very important, but he criticized the National Assembly’s inability to promise action.
Can anyone or anyone care to explain the postion of Son Chhay. Is he a parlimentarian? If the answer is "Yes" then he shall blame on his part for the N/A inability.
The Cambodia Watchdog Council, led by union representatives Rong Chhun and Chea Mony, called on voters to make a clear decision in July on parliamentarians with a will to protect the interests of society
Good move and cosntructive idea. Personally, think that Unions are distant themselves from certain political parties.
The civil society has done an excellent job here. This sort of action help to keep the pressures on the govt. to do something about the laws. But I think it will take a long, long time for these laws to be passed by the parliament because all the govt. officials, especially the CPP ones, feared that these laws will will be the Trojan horse and a monster of its own creation that could put them in troubles or in jail, let's put it that way.
CPP officials or communist officials of all kind are Lovea fruits (hypocrit people.
We have been waiting for more than 10 years the Anti-corruption law. But this law have been slept on the shelf. Why?
It's vry simple: How the thieves can pass the law to punish the thieves?
All high ranking and Cpp officials are CHOR.: Hun sen, Sok An, Hok Lundy, Cham Prasith, Kun Kim....
Corruption is CPP culture!
I am always appreciate HE Son Chhay's work. He is the most important parliamentarian member in Cambodia. He tried hard to unveil the corruption case by Minister of Post and Telecommunication by questioning him in the assembly session. And only him who dared to reach Vietnam authority to talk about human right abuse on Khmer Krom.
Beu min méan ampeur puk roluoy té
kanapaks hun sèn min méan chèk dall
khum roab meun dollars té knong pél bass chnote madang madang.If the cpp
win the corruption shall multiply 4 to 10 times and the Cambodia full
of yuon . Don't forget the Cambodians
hun sèn will sell you all like chicken.
Actually, Cambodia has had a law making corruption a crime since the start of the Royal Government when the United Nations Transitional Authority (UNTAC) criminal law was adopted by the National Assembly. Article 38 states in relevant part: "...any civil servant, military personnel or official agent of any of the four Cambodian parties to the Paris Agreement, or any political official who, while performing official duties or tasks related to such duties, solicits or attempts to solicit or who receives or attempts to receive property, a service, m oney, staff, a professional positon, a document, an authorization or any benefit in exchanger for any one of these same elements is guilty of the crim of extortion and shall be subject to a punishment of three to seven years in prison. 2. The court may remove the convicted person from elective office and may also prohibit him or her, after serving the prison sentence, from stanting for election or from holding any position in the public administrationo for a period of two years. 3. The penalty for this crim shall also include a fine of double the sum of money or value of the property extorted."
This law is still in effect until a new criminal law is passed, but the point is that if the prosecutor wanted to prosecute corruption, there's already a law on the books so they should be asking for enforcement of the existing law, not somehow waiting for a new version of the corruption law.
why's the hold up? what is holding it from getting passed into law, soon? there must be a reason for it.
Again, there already is a law against corruption involving public officials UNTAC Article 38). The issue is why there has not been enforcement under the current law.
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