Petition to Ensure a Free and Fair Election in Cambodia

Respected Cambodian-American and KI-Media Readers,

Please sign this petition and forward it to your representative US Senators to request for Free and Fair Election in Cambodia.

Please click here for a complete lists of US Senators and their contact information.

Thank you!

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(Insert your full name)
(Insert your Home Numbers, Street address)
(Insert City, State, and Zip Code)
(Insert your Email address)
(Insert your Phone Numbers)

(Insert current date)


The Honorable (Insert Senator’s full name)
(Insert Numbers & Street address)
Washington DC 20510
(Insert Phone Numbers)

Subject: Petition to Ensure a Free and Fair Election in Cambodia

Dear Senator (Insert Last name of Senator):

Corruption, vote buying, and threats made against innocent citizens, Buddhist monks have been physically beaten and jailed, and political activists, journalists, and elected officials from the opposition parties are being intimidated and blackmailed, and others have been threatened by lawsuits and jail, this is the current political situations in Cambodia.

The past three country National General Elections have given us to look at the pattern of political corruption in the Hun Sen Government. He and his high-ranking officials were able to suppress the people’s freedom of expression and the freedom of the press. Mr. Kem Sokha, then was the Chairman of the Cambodian Center of Human Rights (CCHR), and Yeng Virak, head of the Community Legal Education Center, were arrested for allegedly defaming the Hun Sen government in connection with a banner displayed on International Human Rights Day, which reads, "I will not vote for anyone who intimidates me." Mr. Mam Sonando, a vocal Radio Host of the Beehive Radio Station and a journalist and Mr. Rong Chhun, President of the Cambodian Independent Teacher’s Association, were arrested and allegedly charged with defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen in connection with the country's sensitive border issue. Mr. Cheam Channy, opposition parliamentarian, was arrested and charged with the false claims of forming a “secret army”. There were also a number of leading democratic proponents and political activists were jailed, forced to seek refuge in exile, and others were assassinated.

As the country National General Election is near approaching, Prime Minister Hun Sen has, once again, conspired with the judicial system and his military police to deliberately unleash a series of raids to make arrests and carry out a monstrous political assault on the social and political organizations including the non-governmental organizations, journalists, the opposition parties, community and political activists, Teacher Associations, Union Workers, and to the general public. In the past weeks, Mr. Dam Sith, Chief Editor for Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper was arrested and jailed and allegedly charged on defamation and disinformation. In addition, Mr. Sam Rainsy, President of the Sam Rainsy Party, has been threatened to be stripped of his Parliament immunity and has a lawsuit filed against him on defamation and disinformation. In May of 2008, while he was giving his speech to the people in one of the villages, Prime Minister Hun Sen had forewarned them that, “If the people voted for the Cambodian People’s Party, there will be no war. The people will not need to run for the trenches”.

Prime Minister Hun Sen and his high-ranking government officials are continuing to make threats to the general public, and the rights of the people are being violated and suppressed. While he is playing the role of savior, Prime Minister Hun Sen, on the one hand, is utilizing his high-ranking government officials to intimidate, arrest, jail and sue any individual who would dare criticizing him and his government. When the activists were arrested and jailed, Prime Minister Hun Sen would intervene and demand for their release. This is clearly his theatrical political ploy for the public to acknowledge him as a hero.

America was built on the principles of democracy and this country, is a fearless advocate for democratic principles and protecting human rights around the world. As one of your constituents, a freedom-loving Cambodian-American citizen, I stand with my fellow Cambodian-Americans and Americans alike, petitioning to respectfully urge you Senator (Insert Last name of Senator) to enforce the Senate Resolution 353 for a free and fair election in Cambodia. In order to ensure democratic progress in Cambodia, I call upon you Senator (Insert Last name of Senator) and our United States government to raise this grave matter in Congress to call for congressional action to ensure that Prime Minister Hun Sen and his government officials to abide by the rule of law, to end Hun Sen government’s practices of silencing the dissident voices of their people, and to put an end to the oppression of the people’s fundamental rights to freedom of expression, press, assembly, association, and religious beliefs. I appeal to our United States government to put a stop on the Hun Sen government’s raids and any other abuse made on the Cambodian people and to be made accountable for his government’s action.

Sincerely,

(Sign your name here)
(Insert your full name)