Written by Meas Sokchea and Sebastian Strangio
The Phnom Penh Post
"We are concerned that their funding could come from terrorist groups." [- Hun Sen, the instigator of the 1997 coup d'état in Cambodia]Rights groups brand the PM's proposed NGO Law "unnecessary", saying terrorism and fraud can be solved through more effective means
OPPOSITION lawmakers and local rights groups have criticised the government's proposed introduction of tighter regulations for non-government organisations, saying the restrictions go beyond what is needed to ensure accountability in the NGO sector.
Addressing the first meeting of the new cabinet Friday, Prime Minister Hun Sen said the government plans to pass a law regulating the operation of local and international NGOs in Cambodia.
"We have to know the sources of [NGO] funds," Hun Sen said. "We are concerned that their funding could come from terrorist groups."
The Ministry of Interior originally drafted the Local Associations and Non-Governmental Organisations Law in 2006, and it is expected to be passed soon by the new CPP-dominated government.
Over-regulation
Lawmakers contacted by the Post agreed there was a need for the government to weed out fraudulent NGOs, but said this goal could be achieved through other means.
"I support the government wanting to receive reports and information from NGOs, but if they are creating a law to control NGO budgets this would not conform to democratic principles," said Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Mu Sochua. If the government is worried about terrorism, she added, it should order the relevant ministries to increase their readiness rather then constraining NGOs.
Ngy San, deputy executive director of the NGO Forum, said his personal view was that some degree of regulation was necessary, but that its extent should be the subject of debate. "There should be some regulation of the sector," he said. "But what should be the content of the law?"
But Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, said the necessary laws were already in place, citing the long-awaited Anti-Corruption Law and other criminal legislation.
"The NGO environment is not perfect. Some NGOs are using land concessions for profit, but the solution is not to make things difficult for all NGOs. The root of the problem is that government officials are benefiting from these deals," he said. "If you pass an anti-corruption law, you prevent your own government from doing these things."
Ou Virak added that errant NGOs were no justification for the promulgation of a new law. "The root cause is not civil society. It is NGOs that have some link to people high up in the government," he said. "It makes you wonder where the priorities lie for the new government. The solution is going to be much worse than the problem."
Heang Rithy, president of the Cambodian National Research Organisation, agreed that the government had more pressing concerns than tightening its grip on NGOs. "The government should create laws against corruption, conditional laws for [the appointment of] independent judges and laws to resolve land disputes," he said.
11 comments:
The terrorist group in Cambodia is gangster CPP
and ah dummy prime minister Hun Sen.
Who do the coup? Is ah kwak Hun Sen and CPP.
Who do the killings in Cambodia in the pass 23 years?
Which is ah kwak Hun Sen and gangster CPP.
So, do not pointing finger to NGO.
Ah kwack, he is fuckingup!
And who got rid of the Khmer Rouge?
NO fucking any one get rid off the Khmer Rouge! the mothe fucker ah Hun Sen is the Khmere rouge commender still in charge of our lives and ah fucking Kher Rouge Precident still fucking around too!
It only takes a breath to pass the law to halt activities of NGOs considering threatening and interfering in the affair of the govt.
HOw about Anti-corruption law?
Hey 3:00 am, no one got rid of KR. KR simply died by itself. Soldiers desert the KR force in the jungle because there is no hope of toppling the government. So if you are trying to say Hun Sen got rid of them, no you are wrong. KR will go away anyway sooner or later.
It is like saying if Bill Gates didn't created Windows, the world will be without an OS today. What an absurd comment!
Hun Xen did not got rid of KR, but just speed up the process. Now remember this, you dumbster!
Yeah right, and Khmer People is 7 feet tall also.
3:00 AM,
No one get rid Khmer Rouge.
Ah Hun Sen and his gangster CPP they are Khmer Rouge.
I think you had a lot of shit in your brain.
everybody needs law, that is rule and regulations, otherwise, it can be chaotic and abusive; that goes to the NGOs as well. of course, transparency knows no boundary as this is a way to know where the money is coming from to all of these NGOs in cambodia. don't hate just because cambodia finally creates laws to regulate the NGOs. like they say, sooner or later, they'll get caught. if they do nothing wrong, then why be paranoid about have a new law in place? sometimes one has to wonder! god bless cambodia.
hey, hey, about the 1997 coup or whatever, the majority of the khmer people have spoken already by their voting power. so let bygone be bygone, unless it is important to learn from the history lesson. god bless cambodia.
Wait a minute!, The NGO regulation law is welcomemed if the Government really intends to promote an accountable development, especially for poverty reduction.
The FOREMOST Priority is to pass the anti corruption law and implement it! Than NGO law! Not only to track NGO's funding sources but also promoting local capacity building. NOW some NGO with alot of international staff bringing back money home and the real benefit to the beneficiaries is small beween 20 to 30% and the rest 80 and 70% to expatriate costs. So NGO law should be catalyst to stimulate effective and efficient solution to poverty reduction.
GET rid off CORRUPTION FIRST and then NGO Law!!
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