2009-05-04Letter to the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD)
Between 1975-1979, over 1.7 million Cambodian women, men and children were killed by the Khmer Rouge- among them my parents. The world community knew about it but watched from afar. Cambodia has come out of genocide and on the road to reconstruction but this stage of reconstruction is stuck and in many ways quickly falling back to point zero. 30 years after the genocide of the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia has made some progress but too small. Over 2,000 innocent Cambodian women die every year of childbirth, at least one million Cambodian children go to bed hungry every night, hundreds of thousands Cambodian children and female youth are ruined in brothels, over 200,000 families have been brutally forced of their land and homes, and over 75% of Cambodia’s forests have now been destroyed. Innocent lives of my people could be saved if justice were served, if top leaders of my broken nation were less greedy, if development were meant for all.
I left Cambodia as an innocent young adolescent because the Vietnam war was approaching and hundreds and thousands of sick, wounded and hungry families were already telling us that Cambodia was lost. I returned home 18 years later with two young children, to a nation in ruins. A new beginning gave us hope when the UN came to help Cambodia organize its first democratic election in 1993. It cost the world community 2 billion dollars. I became a leader in the women’s movement, moving communities and walking the peace walk in city streets and dirt roads to pray for non-violence. I joined politics and became the first woman to lead the women’s ministry that was lead by a man, campaigned nationwide to put an end to human trafficking, authored the draft law on domestic violence, signed treaties with neighboring countries to protect our women and children from being prosecuted as illegal migrants but to receive proper treatment as victims of sex slavery.
I witness violence not as a victim but I listen to hundreds and thousands of women and children speak of the shame, the violation, the soul that is taken away when violence is afflicted on their bodies and on their minds. As a politician I always try to take action, to walk to the villages where life seems to have stopped for centuries, I challenge the top leadership of the government - I question international aid.
Today, I am faced with the real possibility of going to jail because as self-defense I dare to sue the prime minister of Cambodia, a man who has ruled this nation for 30 years. Having been assaulted to the point where I stood half exposed in front of men, by a general I caught using a state car to campaign for the party of the prime minister, I found myself assaulted again, this time verbally by the prime minister who compares me to a woman hustler who grabbed men for attention.
Within days my parliamentary immunity will be lifted so the court can "investigate" my case. This is normal procedure for politicians from the opposition party or human rights activists or the poor who cannot bribe court officials. I will be detained in the notorious prison of "Prey Sar" for as long as the courts wish to take.
Many of my colleagues in the opposition, including my party leader have faced this fate for speaking out.
Cambodia receives close to a billion dollars in 2009 from the international community, the USA contributing close to 60 million. Is the world still watching in silence while Cambodia is now ruled by one man? Is the world afraid to say that its aid is actually taking Cambodia backwards?
Let no Cambodian children go to bed hungry anymore. Let no Cambodian woman be sold anymore.
We must walk tall despite being people bent from the trauma of the Khmer Rouge, which is still a part of us. Let us not let our leaders and the world-community use this trauma to give us justice by the teaspoon.
Let there be real justice.
Mu Sochua
Member of Parliament
Sam Rainsy Party
Mu Sochua is an elected member of the Cambodian parliament and a tireless advocate for women’s rights and the victims of injustice. In 2005, Mu Sochua was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work against sex trafficking of women in Cambodia and neighboring Thailand. Vital Voices honored Mu Sochua with the 2005 Human Rights Global Leadership Award for her efforts to stem the tide of human trafficking.
I left Cambodia as an innocent young adolescent because the Vietnam war was approaching and hundreds and thousands of sick, wounded and hungry families were already telling us that Cambodia was lost. I returned home 18 years later with two young children, to a nation in ruins. A new beginning gave us hope when the UN came to help Cambodia organize its first democratic election in 1993. It cost the world community 2 billion dollars. I became a leader in the women’s movement, moving communities and walking the peace walk in city streets and dirt roads to pray for non-violence. I joined politics and became the first woman to lead the women’s ministry that was lead by a man, campaigned nationwide to put an end to human trafficking, authored the draft law on domestic violence, signed treaties with neighboring countries to protect our women and children from being prosecuted as illegal migrants but to receive proper treatment as victims of sex slavery.
I witness violence not as a victim but I listen to hundreds and thousands of women and children speak of the shame, the violation, the soul that is taken away when violence is afflicted on their bodies and on their minds. As a politician I always try to take action, to walk to the villages where life seems to have stopped for centuries, I challenge the top leadership of the government - I question international aid.
Today, I am faced with the real possibility of going to jail because as self-defense I dare to sue the prime minister of Cambodia, a man who has ruled this nation for 30 years. Having been assaulted to the point where I stood half exposed in front of men, by a general I caught using a state car to campaign for the party of the prime minister, I found myself assaulted again, this time verbally by the prime minister who compares me to a woman hustler who grabbed men for attention.
Within days my parliamentary immunity will be lifted so the court can "investigate" my case. This is normal procedure for politicians from the opposition party or human rights activists or the poor who cannot bribe court officials. I will be detained in the notorious prison of "Prey Sar" for as long as the courts wish to take.
Many of my colleagues in the opposition, including my party leader have faced this fate for speaking out.
Cambodia receives close to a billion dollars in 2009 from the international community, the USA contributing close to 60 million. Is the world still watching in silence while Cambodia is now ruled by one man? Is the world afraid to say that its aid is actually taking Cambodia backwards?
Let no Cambodian children go to bed hungry anymore. Let no Cambodian woman be sold anymore.
We must walk tall despite being people bent from the trauma of the Khmer Rouge, which is still a part of us. Let us not let our leaders and the world-community use this trauma to give us justice by the teaspoon.
Let there be real justice.
Mu Sochua
Member of Parliament
Sam Rainsy Party
Mu Sochua is an elected member of the Cambodian parliament and a tireless advocate for women’s rights and the victims of injustice. In 2005, Mu Sochua was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work against sex trafficking of women in Cambodia and neighboring Thailand. Vital Voices honored Mu Sochua with the 2005 Human Rights Global Leadership Award for her efforts to stem the tide of human trafficking.
28 comments:
Good luck sister Hochua !
You are a real brave womman of the 21st century! We Khmer believe that some day someone have to stand up to face the dictature, and the Vietminh ruling in Cambodia. You and I can predict that the Khmer Judge will not rule in favor of the one who dare to oppose the prime minister of the ruling government. But we never all the time have to bend down in front of the dictator. Enough is enough. Your stan-up will be historic. We are behind you!
Your brother.
I support you Mrs. Mu Sochour!
You're a brave woman!
The disgrace MP Mu Sochua has anger management problem. She should seek councelling to cool off her temper if she wants to prolong her political career. She is good in stun but not substantial. She will do everything to attract media attention. It is too little too late that she wants Prime Minister Hun Sen withdraw the defamation case with her. Without a letter to apology to Prime Minister Hun Sen, her day in Cambodia will be number. Indeed, she should aware that in Cambodia, "If she jumps too high, when she falls back it will hit her very hard and painful".
Will disgrace Mu Sochua brave enough to face a jail time in Prey Sar prison, everyone can wait and see. For me, I think she likes her boss just brave in front of microphone or Radio. Whenever her Parliementary immunity was withdrawn, then we will see her real colour?
Cheers
Mu Sochua!
Mu Sochua!
Mu Sochua!
Mu Sochua!
Mu Sochua!
Mu Sochua!
Mu Sochua!
Jeyo Srey Dor Klahan !
11:58 AM
I am not really sure where you live. However,if you live in Cambodia, you, with such a mentality and support for your PM, and your children should start learning Vietnamese since you will soon need it to get ahead.
too bad that 1:04 PM always comes to disturb the discussion in this blog.
No body read this crazy person 1:04PM posts, but it is becoming more and more destracting when we all are trying to read and to discuss with each others.
Learn Vietnamese is not a bad thing. More than 80 million people are learning Vietnamese, but the economic of this country is not going downwards, instead, it is improving which is totally contrast to those English speaking countries (except Australia and Canada).
Cambodians has already lost our culture, we are not speaking the language that we and Thai people spoke 500 years ago. Many of us are not riding oxen anymore.
Human culture evolution just always exists. If we don't have strong culture and identity, we would have to absorb others sooner or later.
A gradual culture integration would definetly better than the drastic change.
Oh! Srey Neak Leng Mu Sochua, your letter to the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) is not good enough to save you from walking to Prey Say prison. However, your letter to apology to Prime Minister will save you and your political career.
Srey Neak Leng versus Pros Neak Mern. I will put my house bet for Pros Neak Mern as a winner.
She is now at the stage of struggling to ask for helps from the first world nations (most likely Westerners).
I would rather think that those Westen nations would not intervence heavily in this issues. The US has shifted its political stand firmly to CPP, as there are more cooporation between the two in areas of economic, politic and military (even though it hasn't formally resumed the military aid).
Ms Mu went to the US last month, but receive little support from the US government which is completely different to what was ten years ago. The US now has more dialogues with CPP rather than SRP. And SRP now seems much weaker than it was, and may not even be able to lead the current government if it won the election. The US is clear about this.
I would predited that Ms Mu would eventually frastrated by casting too much hope and reliance on the Western donors. And this would probably the reason she left SRP if she was further psychologically tortured by CPP.
I'm reluctant to make a judgement on her political experience and competancy, but this seems not really right for her at the end.
If you want to survive in SEA learn Chinese.
The winner is always right that is what we have seen.
She is going to loose everything if the case goes on. But another unfortunate is her lawyer who only performs his job. He too would be expel from Cambodian bar association.
Win Win strategy really costs Cambodian a lot. The poor, the weak in this country continue to live in fear, intimidation and injustice.
Intimidation is everywhere, even in the States.
How much the Fed Govt spend for the Military and Defence in order to protect the US? How many US parents are worrying about their childen safety in Iraq and Afganistance? How much money have been bailled out for the ailling banking system? How many people in the US fears about their jobs being lost?
Intimidations just happen in different forms.
Oh... cambodian people are lucky that haven't been intimidated in the form american people experience. it is good that we are intimidated directly from the government official, businessmen, and court system.
The only way to defeat a corrupt govt. in cambodia is to fight it
I expect to see a letter of apology to Mrs. Mu Sokchea from PM Hun Sen in the near future. If not he is not a man.
Of course you are intimidated by the US government system, but you are just happy to accept it, so you don't realise it. It is just like other ordinary Cambodians who do not borther politic, so they just do not realise it too.
There are many US centizens who move out of the US too due to their perceived threats, but you do not.
Look at the suicide of CFO of Freddie Mac, he was intimidated by the pressure imposed from the failed financial system of the US government. While Ms Mu has not been at that level yet (but very close, but has higher profile?).
Look at the people who do not want to go to vote but still do that because the compulsory democracy. You may not perceive it as intimidation, but other may.
Same concept apply in Cambodia current situation.
Many people perceive bodily harm as the ultimate intimidation, whereas, other may think at the other way round. And many overseas Khmers are just the first category.
But other may not like you
I have seen hundreds of people apply for Visa at the US Embassy everyday and a few year ago they had to travel to Bangkok to apply. I am not sure how many have been accepted, but I can say not more then 50% got visa. US is an intimidate country, but US government spend billion of dollars to help other nations in form of bilateral or humanitarian aid. If any individual has american citizenship and has been in trouble in other countries, the president of the United State intervene. American citizenship live with dignity.
Madam Mu Sochua is a steel leader of Cambodia. Her letter shows her struggling and bravery. She accepts to walk into jail because court in Cambodia is not neutral. But any decision to lift her immunity or arresting her will make a change in Cambodia. Her life has been put for the million victims of Cambodia. Court in Cambodia is controlled by Hun Sen.
I appreciate your brave Madam Mu Sochua.
I appreciate your brave Madam Mu Sochua.
4:03 PM -- Quote
lol, u call her Madam, that means she's a mamasan in the whore house. I saw one who looks exactly the same. She should run a whore house in the US instead of working as a shit stirrer in Cambodia.
4:43pm
You are Hun Sen's parasite who has always looked down women.
May though work with evil be paid with evil. Like hun sen, his cpp members, and hun sen's master " hanoi ".
May china or russia shakes vietnam like a 9.0 earthquakes. And may it ripple effect directly to hun sen regime. For the foundation of evils doesn't last.
Thank you Ms Mu Sochua
As far as I am concern the international community is the perpetrators as much as the regime in Cambodia, they help and foster the regime that oppress the people of Cambodia, they turn a blind eye on the suffering, neglect and the eventual destruction of Cambodia.
We should all build a case to sue to United nations, let the highest court of the world hear how they stop sort of condamning the regime and let oppression run free with their full support.
United Nation have been support our country, but the Leadership is use their own power to abuse people and the government are so blind even people are suffering.
We all khmer and we should support each other and pick a good Leader.
This the first time the Khmer woman stand up to fight fro their Right but most of our people they so afraid of Hun Sen regime.
Kaun Khmer in Blood
Ah Kwack is always kwack. Never wants to compromise when it comes to unify. He always uses his oppression tactic to silence and weaken oppositions. His day will come for him sooner or later.
to who support Mu,
if Mu continue her case to United States, do any body would like to donate some $ to help her to pay her court if it need too. if So how are we going to manage that money? is it some one going to work on this issue is so i would like to donate some.
to 1:41 PM,
Oh! a bross klao somtean Hun Sen ! kour te me srey neak leng Mu tha veu a vi klas dambi oy A klao Hun Sen vea mean mea rean klas nove knong jivite tha men ajong te vea nove te ja gang ja gang ot pouch at ambo prouse ot mean srey neak leng douch Mu prean prodove vea. i louve mean houy.
Kom toun al or A neak mern somtean ke ta a tech taet ke chop oy loy vea jam mel vea der plon pro cha chone deumbi ross heuy. vea men croun beu i te.
The khmer rouge's infamous quote:
"to keep you is no gain, and to eliminate you is no loss" All cambodian people should use this line on hun sen since he's a former khmer rouge cadre.
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