Original report from Phnom Penh
19 June 2009
“What [the UN office] mentioned is not really related to the truth ... Democracy has much improved.” -sic!- CPP MP Cheam YiepCivil and criminal lawsuits against opposition figures and journalists are undermining Cambodia’s progress on democracy, the UN rights office in Phnom Penh has warned.
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement Friday that a number of court cases against officials like Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Mu Sochua “seriously affect democracy.”
Hun Sen is pursuing a countersuit against Mu Sochua, whose charges against the premier, for allegedly degrading remarks during last year’s election campaign, have already been dismissed.
In pursuing the suit against Mu Sochua, Phnom Penh Municipal Court has requested that the National Assembly suspend her parliamentary immunity. The full Assembly, comprised of a wide majority of Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party, is expected to vote on the immunity question Monday.
“The taking away of, or threat of taking away of, parliamentarian immunity is a threat regarding the lawmaker and seriously affects democracy,” the rights office said.
The UN office highlighted six cases, five of which are under the aegis of Phnom Penh deputy prosecutor Sok Roeun.
For example, opposition lawmaker Ho Vann is facing a suit from military officials after he criticized certificates they were granted by Vietnamese authorities.
The editor of the opposition-aligned Khmer Machas Srok newspaper is facing a suit for defaming Council Minister Sok An.
Moeung Son, the head of a non-governmental agency, is being sued for publicly complaining that the Apsara Authority, with the permission of the government, is shining lights on the temples of Angkor Wat.
“In the context under which Cambodian court easily receives power from the executive institution, whether civil or penal complaints, those complaints are a serious threat to the development of democracy Cambodia has built over the last 16 years,” the rights office said.
Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith could not be reached for comment. Om Yentieng, head of the government’s human rights office, could not be reached.
“What [the UN office] mentioned is not really related to the truth,” said Cheam Yiep, a CPP National Assemblyman told VOA Khmer. “Democracy has much improved.”
8 comments:
one eyed hyena propaganda!
Hun Sen's reply to lawsuits condemnation by civil society: sue them. His comment was made during a speech on June 17. For full video, http://khmermediawatch.wordpress.com/2009/06/20/hun-sen-on-mp-mu-sochua-power-and-freedom-of-expression-critics/
Well, Don't blame me for I am of course the son of a slut, adulteress, fornicatress, hussy, jade, and loose woman Viet...
Let it be known that I have a mission here and that is to destroy KI-Media for the benefit and welfare of the CPP new Viet-khmer people under the leadership of Hun Sen, got that?
PPU
democracy will never be improved as long as the cpp and hanoi is in the cambodian government. who are you fooling cheam yiep?
if there is true democracy in cambodia, why so much curruption, why the new cambodian king can't speak his mind and can't do anything to help his people?
Why the anticurruption laws isn't passed yet? Why anyone who speak or protest get prosecuted? He should be able to answered and explained first before making simple and untrue claim.
Well because we are Yuon-Khmer, a new and improved Cambodia under our beloved PM HUN SEN working for our Yuon's master. we don't care about Khmer. Does that answer your question 7:51 PM?
PPU
Actually, there has been improvement because before, Defamation and Disinformation was a crime under the UN Transition Authority Commission (UNTAC) law article 63. These were written either by foreign consultants or drafted by Europeans and then it was adopted by the National Assembly as the Criminal Law of Cambodia. The law of defamation was written to be a CRIME, not a civil wrong-following the French way of handling so-called defamation. About a year ago the PM to his credit called for the law of defamation to be decriminalized!! AND IT WAS!! So the Royal Government deserves credit and others like the UN Rights Office need to recognize this improvement.
The defamation lawsuits are now alleged civil wrongs and it's better to sue than shoot someone, so we should be happy they are using the courts!
In my view the law of Defamation needs to be rewritten so that it limits it to statements which are
false and which cause actual injury to one repartition. Most countries limit the type of statements that are actionable i.e. if one is accused of having a sexual disease and that was untrue, or one is said to have committed a crime and that was not true. Also, if one is a Public Figure, the law should allow for more fair comment about anything which is true.
10:49pm,
what ever you says doesn't matter. I don't know who raised you or where you get your education from. But your mind is backward and cold.
But that is the reality, 1:23 AM. If you cannot face it, well, come and Kiss PM HUN SEN's ass.
PPU
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