The IPU is monitoring the celebrated trial of Mu Soncha (Sochua), a member of the Cambodian National Assembly and a known advocate of women and children’s rights...
Phay Siphan, a Cambodian government spokesman, dismissed Mu Soncha’s claims that the courts were biased.
But the accusations have gained traction among international human rights groups, as well as donor countries, which pledged almost $1 billion in foreign aid to Cambodia in 2008.
By Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 07/19/2009
Filed Under: Human Rights, Treaties & International Organisations
MANILA, Philippines -- Former Senate President Franklin Drilon said he was chosen by the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) as an observer in the defamation trial of a Cambodian opposition member of the parliament.
Drilon said the IPU, a worldwide organization of parliamentarians, designated him as its representative and observer in next week's trial of Cambodian opposition MP Mu Sochua (not Soncha) for a defamation suit filed by strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Drilon, in a statement sent to media outfits on Sunday afternoon, said he was informed of his designation by Anders Johnson, IPU secretary general, and Ingeborg Schwarz, secretary of the IPU Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentarians.
The IPU is monitoring the celebrated trial of Mu Soncha (Sochua), a member of the Cambodian National Assembly and a known advocate of women and children’s rights.
Mu Soncha (Sochua), a one-time Nobel Prize nominee and a former minister of women affairs, was in the forefront of the campaign against sex and human trafficking in Cambodia and was vocal against the Hun Sen government’s alleged failure to crack down on offenders.
She will stand trial on Friday in Phnom Penh on a defamation countersuit filed by Hun Sen in retaliation to an earlier suit she filed against the prime minister, according to Drilon’s press statement.
The case against Hun Sen was earlier dismissed by the courts.
Mu Soncha claimed the courts were biased and that no lawyer in Cambodia was courageous enough to represent her for fear of reprisal from government.
“I intend to put the (Cambodian) justice system on trial,” she was quoted as saying recently.
Phay Siphan, a Cambodian government spokesman, dismissed Mu Soncha’s claims that the courts were biased.
But the accusations have gained traction among international human rights groups, as well as donor countries, which pledged almost $1 billion in foreign aid to Cambodia in 2008.
Reports said the Cambodian government launched at least nine criminal cases against politicians, journalists and activists recently.
Critics such as Human Rights Watch accuse the ruling Cambodia People’s Party of using the legal system to silence opposition voices.
Johnson and Ingeborg informed Drilon that he was chosen as IPU trial observer and representative in his capacity as former chairman of the IPU Human Rights for Parliementarians Committee and as a former justice secretary in the Philippines.
In July 2006, Drilon was elected chairman of the IPU committee, a prestigious international body that investigates violations of human rights of lawmakers.
He is the first Filipino legislator to be elected to the position since the IPU was established in 1889.
The IPU, the oldest multilateral political organization, brings together 146 affiliated parliaments and seven associated regional assemblies. It is based in Geneva, Switzerland. It serves as a Permanent Observer at the United Nations.
The IPU Committee of Human Rights of Parliamentarians was established in 1976 and was created to ensure that the human rights of the world's parliamentary community - composed of more than 40,000 members - are respected.
In 2005, Drilon was elected assembly president of the 112th General Assembly which was held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila and was attended by over 1,500 parliamentarians from over 45 countries.
Prior to his election as president of the IPU assembly, Drilon was also a member of the IPU Executive Committee.
Drilon is the current chairman of the Liberal Party.
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14 comments:
Phay Siphan , sometimes you have to lie to please your boss CPP so you will have your job tomorrow but, when you told the world that the court was not bias , you made yourself look so dumb . who don't know that the court is bias toward CPP ? you can't use your hat to cover a dead elephant .
The justice for Mme. Mu.must be prevailed.
Cambodia act stupid and unacceptable with it court systems to take site with the Prime minister Hun Sen,it doesn't matter how is wrong mr.Hun does.
Prime minister is not even God,why our country have to show the whole world we look like the idiot ?
I am praying to lord Buddha that Mme.Mu will receiving the fair justice.
Also Cambodian people please please help from every where if you can help just go surround the court house where that Mme.Mu present and have the banners with your own individual opinion to demand the justice for Mme.Mu also for your self now the world is watching do not afraid to get out .
One banner each THANK YOU !
Labors leaders, right leaders Samransy Party ,Human right party Ranorith party and all khmer who love the justice please join hand to hands one square feet of paper every where in front of the court and make history happen that we are not buried our head in the mud in the justice demanding ,we need the rights like the others people do.
Prove it WE ARE CAMBODIAN WE NOT NEED TOTALITARIAN IN OUR SYSTEMS.
If my memory is good, I think a person named Phay Siphan was fired from CPP and senator last couple years ago. Was that this Phay Siphan?
ខ្ញុំគិតថាពិតជាត្រូវហើយ
សិមសោភា
Welcome welcome Dr. Drilon, we are very happy to have you in Cambodia nextweek, We are sure you will have long holiday and enjoy during your mission in our country.. You are the lucky one that you have chance to take long holiday as Trial Observer/ Human Right Tourist..Please dont forget to visit my home, I will serve and hospitalize u as VIP.
Khmer
Dear 8:47 AM ,
That the right one. That Phay Siphan doesn't a job in Long Beach. He tried very hard to get a job back in CPP. That guy is an asshole.
The disgrace MP Mu Sochua, her day in Cambodia is number. What IPU can do by just sending Mr. Franklin Drilon to observe in the defamation trial between PM Hun Sen versus Mu Sochua on 24 July 2009? Despite IPU sends all members to observe this trial, it won't change the verdict of Cambodia's court. I want to see what disgrace Mu Sochua's face look like when the Court delivers a verdict on 24 July 2009? Will she brave by not afraid going to jail as she always said or run away to the U.S Embassy in Phnom Penh for helping her? In Cambodia, the more she jumps too high, when she falls back, it will hit her very hard. I am doubt that after 24 July 2009, she will be able to continue her political career in Cambodia.
Cheers
What is wrong with you my dear 1:22pm
Mme Mu not committed crimes like Hun Sen does, Hun Sen insult every one as he please it is OKAY for you ,but when Hun Sen insulted Mme.Mu ,Mme Mu.taking Hun Sen to court,your court dropped her case,intimidated her lawyer not to defend her now she
force to defend her self in court.Wait a minute some thing very wrong in your home there?
Hehe, 1:49PM, Before you asked me that "What is wrong with me?" you should ask yourself that how much you are aware about law and politics in Cambodia? Regardless what people brands Cambodia's Court as bias to Government, but if we are talking about PM Hun Sen's remark in Kompot province, he didn't mention to any person's name at all, even though, it seems refer to disgrace Mu Sochua. In Western country as well as in other democractic countries, you have freedom of speech and you can remark whatever you like if your remark is not referred or insulted to anyone by name.
After PM Hun Sen made a remark in Kompot province, disgrace Mu Sochua has sent a letter to Hun Sen to clarify about his remark, but Hun Sen is smart by not clarify his remark to any person's name. If disgrace Mu Sochua is smart and mature enough in politics, she should use unclarify of Hun Sen to mocking back to him. But unfortunately, she has miscalculation by talking legal action against Hun Sen, aimed to promote her political stunt and humiliate Hun Sen.
Since she arrived back from overseas in early this month, she has not mention about "Don't afraid going to jail" It indicated that deep inside of her heart, she does really nervous if the Court sends her to jail on 24 July 2009.
Cheer.
cheer or 2:59 PM,
man keep on barking for ah kwack your dump ass master......he still have some bone leaf over for you.....all you have to do is putting your knee pad on and bend over.....
1.22PM
Sound like khmeng chhlop insulting his mother during Khmer Rouge regime.
Your words so disgrace to yourself and your boss.
At least you should respect your poor mother as she is a woman and your head was emerged from under her dirty skirt.
If we are talking about power, no one can challenge Hun Sen. Despite Mu Sochua is under siege in Cambodia but if Hun Sen wants to test power on the bed, Mu Sochua can knock him off within the first round. Hun Sen should know that Mu Sochua's husband is a white man. So, Hun Sen is too small and too weak for her. Hahahaha
Wow, I didn't know that MP Mu Sochua has a white man husband? She must have good skills on the bed. If she lose the case in Cambodia's court, she should ask Hun Sen to compete with her on the bed and let see how Hun Sen can cope with her. I will put my money with Mu Sochua if Hun Sen agrees to test his power on the bed with her.
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