Reactions on disputes between Prime Minister Hun Sen and Mrs. Mu Sochua

Mrs. Mu Sochua (L) and Mr. Hun Sen (R).

Translated by Khmerization
Source: Radio Free Asia

Many Cambodian women, especially female leaders of NGOs, are very reluctant to make any comments regarding the defamation suit between Mrs. Mu Sochua and Prime Minister Hun Sen, reports Radio Free Asia.

The Khmer Red Cross, whose leader is Hun Sen's wife, Ministry of Women Affairs whose the Minister is a woman from Mr. Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party and other organisations whose leaders are all women are afraid to make any comments regarding the case because they are too afraid to be dragged into a political legal fight.

Mrs. Mu Sochua has sued prime Minister Hun Sen for defamation and Mr. Hun Sen has conter-sued her for the same reason.

Mrs. Mu Sochua's suit against Mr. Hun Sen stemmed from the comments he made in Kampot a few weeks earlier in which he blasted a 'woman MP from Kampot'. Mr. Mu Sochua is the only woman MP from Kampot and she considered Mr. Hun Sen's comments to be directed at her.

In his Kampot speech, Mr. Hun Sen said: "Those opposition people do not have anything other than using the people as their tools to attack the government. And in Kampot, there is a 'strong person' (cheung klang) who is a woman that I do not need to mention her name because there are other women like Mrs. Som Kim Sour, who is also a cheung klang. This woman is not strong in building anything, but strong in making trouble, creating one trouble after another, strong in inciting trouble, even during the election campaign she rushed to hug someone and accused that person of unbuttoning her blouse. It is really absurd. She is really good at taking legal action against someone. Even she didn't get invited to a conference, she still go to that meeting. One day, when I was leaving the conference I was informed that she was trying to get into the conference even when she was not invited. This is what we called the opposition people who have thick faces, even if we chop them with a machete 100 times, it won't cut through their faces. Their females are the same as their males and their leaders as well as the subordinates are all the same (trouble-makers)."

Mrs Mu Sochua believed that Mr. Hun Sen's speech was directed at her because she was the only woman who had an altercation with an army general from Mr. Hun Sen's ruling party during the election campaign where he had twisted her hand, causing the button of her blouse to fall off showing her bra.

Despite many women are too afraid to make any comments, some did make comments.

Miss Seng Theary, executive chairwoman of Centre of Social Development said: "Mrs. Mu Sochua is a member of parliament, a woman who is always fighting for the women's rights. We are of the opinion that if they are oppressing her, who is of high stature, then if they can oppress her, this shows of an action that is worrisome for us."

Dr. Pung Chiv Kek, chairwoman of another NGO called Licadho, said she regrets that this petty dispute had led to a court case. She said that if Mrs Mu Sochua is stripped off her parliamentary immunity it would mean that the case is a discrimination against a woman. She said: "The aims of the governement and the aims of the opposition parties are the same, that is to promote women's rights. Don't forget that our country had signed a convention abolishing the discrimination against women since 1992. That convention is called CEDAW whichh prohibits the discrimination against women."

Mrs. Phat Sotheary, a teacher, said as a man Mr. Hun Sen must be a little more forgiven to women. She said: "He is a man, he must be more forgiven to women."

Dr. (Mrs.) Lak Sopheap said any oppressions and threats against Mrs. Mu Sochua is an insult to the values of all women. She said: "He did not promote women's rights, instead he attacked a woman's rights who holds a very high leadership position. So it means that he did not think highly of women's values in general."

Mrs. Lim Mony, representative from an NGO called Adhoc, said Mr. Hun Sen's actions against Mrs. Mu Sochua will scare other women to stand up. She said: "Our government is trying push for the promotions of women to high office, to be brave, to know how to use their rights, to apply their rights and to be able to be given an opportunities from our society. These policies are the policies that help encourage the women to be brave. So everybody should implement these policies together."