Saturday, May 10, 2008

Political threats increase ahead of the election

09 May 2008
By Sophorn
Radio Free Asia

Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the original article in Khmer
“Sometime, for the other parties, we see that they have no hope during the election, so they invent some of the (threat and intimidation) stories to make the CPP look bad” - CPP MP Cheam Yeap's excuse for the CPP political threats and intimidations
A coalition of civil society organizations indicated that the number of political threats ahead of the general election for the 4th legislative mandate is increasing in a worrysome number.

Mar Sophal, an official of the Comfrel election organization, indicated on 08 May that the intimidation on non-ruling political parties increases because of the approaching election campaign. Mar Spohal said: “In the last few months, we observe that the number of threats and intimidations increases, in particular against activists who to do not belong to the ruling party, this is a cause of concern.”

On 08 May, the civil society issued a common statement calling for a guarantee to a free and fair election atmosphere in Cambodia, and it also expressed its concerns about the political threats, in particular threats against members of the non-ruling parties.

In response to the civil society demand, CPP MP Cheam Yeap said that the leadership of the (CPP) party educates their members to act properly. Cheam Yeap said: “Sometime, for the other parties, we see that they have no hope during the election, so they invent some of the (threat and intimidation) stories to make the CPP look bad.”

Tep Nytha, secretary-general of the National Election Committee (NEC) indicated that the situation prior to the upcoming election is better than those in the previous elections, and the NEC has also prepared its strategy with the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and the local authorities to review the situation before the upcoming 4th legislative mandate election.

Tep Nytha said: “We maintain permanent reviews, and we exchange information. For example, there are weekly meetings between the Provincial Election Committees (PEC) and the NEC to review the situation and to resolve problems or problems that may arise. In this matter, we are doing the same. The number of political parties which registered (for the election with the NEC) is 6. I am informing you also that these 6 parties can present their candidates in all 24 provinces and municipalities.”

According to the civil society calling statement, the political threats made against activists of parties competing against the ruling CPP party, were done through lawsuits against former party members by the party these members left from. Such action is nothing more than a political threat in order to weaken the supporters of the new party through the use of the justice system. Such a case can be seen in the lawsuit against Prince Ranariddh by his former party, the Funcinpec, (in order to weaken Prince Ranariddh’s NRP).

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

ជូនចំពោះ អាអគ្គមហាសេវាដៃចោរ ខូចសរសៃប្រសាទឈ្មោះហ៊ុន សែន,

ពេលនេះ អាខូចសរសៃប្រសាទ ឈ្មោះហ៊ុន សែនគួរតែ គិតគូរដោះស្រាយ បញ្ហាទំនិញឡើងថ្លៃ ទើបត្រឹមត្រូវ ព្រោះជារឿង ដែលប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរ ទូទាំងប្រទេស កំពុងខ្វាយខ្វល់។ ប៉ុន្តែ អាខ្ញុំយួនរូបនេះ បែរជាគិតគូរ អារឿងគ្មានអ្នកខ្វាយខ្វល់ ទៅវិញ ដូចជា ការ �បំបាត់រាជស័ព្ទ� ជាដើម ។
នេះចំជាអាហ៊ុន សែនខូចសរសៃប្រសាទ មែនហើយ! ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរ សូមអញ្ជើញ អាហ៊ុន សែន ទៅពេទ្យកាល់មែត ដើម្បីអោយលោកអុំ ហេង តៃ គ្រី តំរង់សរសៃប្រសាទ អាអគ្គមហាសេវាដៃចោរហ៊ុន សែន ឡើងវិញទៅ ព្រោះដោយសារ អាខូចសរសៃប្រសាទ ហ្នឹងហើយ ដែលចុះហត្ថលេខា អោយដីខ្មែរទៅយួន អោយពួកយួន ចូលនៅខុសច្បាប់ នៅប្រទេសកម្ពុជា។

ងាប់អោយស្រឡះទៅ អាអគ្គមហាសេវាដៃចោរ ខូចសរសៃប្រសាទ ឈ្មោះហ៊ុន សែន។
គ្មានខ្មែរណាស្រណោះ អាក្បត់ជាតិឯងទេ។

Anonymous said...

What is a shit load of crock? The oppositions think because they belong to a party, that will give them passport to go over the law, hahaha, LOL, hahaha.

Yeah, you jump over our law, and will drag you asses to Prey Sor one way or another, old fashion way, or contemporary.

Anonymous said...

Your laws sound like the jungle or barbarian laws. We can see you clearly inside out that you are the Yuons trying to thread the other political parties. Go back to Hanoi, idiot, before Khmer people find out about you and kick your arse to death. Down with CPP and its Yuon agressors.

Anonymous said...

Threats, I am not afraid of it.
All I scare in Cambodia is thieves.
Mostly, it's create fears among people.
These Thieves are created by CPP or because They are too poor.
Mostly if robberies are involve with the killing, it's mean mostly CPP and their cronies.

khmer canadian

Anonymous said...

4:46 I know that you've been paid full time here just to disturb.

If you are yuon, it is good because you are working for your government.

But if you are Khmer, it is too bad and you should not be on this planet. If I were you I would kill myself rather than trying to kill your own Khmer people for yuor master yuon.

Anonymous said...

"According to the civil society calling statement, the political threats made against activists of parties competing against the ruling CPP party, were done through lawsuits against former party members by the party these members left from. Such action is nothing more than a political threat in order to weaken the supporters of the new party through the use of the justice system. Such a case can be seen in the lawsuit against Prince Ranariddh by his former party, the Funcinpec, (in order to weaken Prince Ranariddh’s NRP)".

Would there be any lawsuit against the prince in the 1st place if he himself did not sold the head quarter and pocketed all the money himself?

Would there be any lawsuit againsgt SR himself in the 1st place if he did not amke any remark about any one?

"Mar Sophal, an official of the Comfrel election organization, indicated on 08 May that the intimidation on non-ruling political parties increases because of the approaching election campaign. Mar Spohal said: “In the last few months, we observe that the number of threats and intimidations increases, in particular against activists who to do not belong to the ruling party, this is a cause of concern".

To start with, it is wrong to say "Ruling party", and in the matter of fact since the 1993 election Cambodia, the Government of Cambodia has always been a coaltion government between the CPP and its junior partner FUNCIPEC. No one can deny that at all.

If fingures were only pointing to the rulling party alone then it is totally unjusted.

Suggestion: If people and all political parties alike would want to have the upper hand over their frustrations on all aspects of affiars of the country, want to see the change for the better of our nation, they should convince their supporters why they can do better, they should encourage their supporters to turn up in mas on the election day, exercise their rights by voting. This alone can bring any change they wish to have and want to see.

Remember that ballot paper is secret paper, and no one can know who you will vote for unless you happens to mention in public.

Anonymous said...

Yep!

Anonymous said...

It's been unjusted all along because there is just laws in Cambodia. Money talks snd it talks real loud everywhere in Cambodia. If the head of government is corrupted, the body and limbs are paralized!

Anonymous said...

correction:
there is just laws= there is NO just laws

Anonymous said...

No, when people lost one eye, they still got the other eye. Similarly with the brain, you don't need all of it to survive. just 10% will do fine.

Anonymous said...

11:13PM, well said. You are right. 4:46Pm was talking about "our law". He meant the CPP's laws or barbarian laws or the laws of jungle. These laws are meant for protecting the CPP only. Barbarians!

Anonymous said...

Well, CPP laws is one of the best in Asia, if not the world.

Anonymous said...

thmill cpp's law is pussy law

Anonymous said...

It doesn't matter. Everyone still has to follow the law, or scram.