The 2009 Friedlander Lecture Series in International Social Welfare
One of the most outspoken members of the Cambodian parliament, Mu Sochua has taken on the Prime Minister in a test of her country’s legal system. In a series of events that began last year, over the summer Mu Sochua had her parliamentary immunity stripped and faced trial without legal representation (her lawyer was threatened by Prime Minister Hun Sen to drop his client or be disbarred).
Speaker: Mu Sochua, Member of Cambodian Parliament and Women’s Human Rights Advocate
When: Monday, September 14th 4pm - 6pm
The Goldberg Room, Boalt Hall (2nd floor), UC Berkeley School of Law
(entrance on Bancroft Way near Piedmont Avenue)
Title: "Cambodian Democracy and Human Rights under Siege: One Woman's Fight"
Description:
The UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare proudly presents alumna Mu Sochua (MSW ’81) — opposition leader, social worker, and women's rights advocate — for the 2009 Walter Friedlander Memorial Lecture on Monday September 14th, at 4pm. Sochua will discuss her years battling sex trafficking, domestic violence against women, government corruption and land grabs in Cambodia, and the court case that has now attracted the attention of the UN High Commission on Human Rights.
One of the most outspoken members of the Cambodian parliament, Mu Sochua has taken on the Prime Minister in a test of her country’s legal system. In a series of events that began last year, over the summer Mu Sochua had her parliamentary immunity stripped and faced trial without legal representation (her lawyer was threatened by Prime Minister Hun Sen to drop his client or be disbarred).
Hers is one of at least six cases in which the Cambodian government is currently using the courts to silence opposition leaders, journalists and human rights groups, reports the Asian Human Rights Commission. According to UC Berkeley Law School faculty member Stephen Golub, “Sochua's battle is important in and of itself, but also resonates far beyond Cambodia. It has important implications for US foreign policy and for development aid provided by our country and many others."
To read more about this issue, you can read two recent articles in the Washington Post and the New York Times.
Mu Sochua originally served as a member of Prime Minister Hun Sen's cabinet but left the position after witnessing government corruption; she is now a senior member of the Sam Rainsy Party. A former minister of women's affairs, in 2005 she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with women trapped in the Cambodian and Thai sex trade. In 2007, UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau presented Sochua with the prestigious Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award for her distinguished record of service to her people and country.
This event is co-sponsored by the University of California, Berkeley Human Rights Center, the Center for Southeast20Asia Studies, the Boalt Hall School of Law International Human Rights Law Clinic and the Miller Institute for Global Challenges and the Law .
Sochua's talk will be followed by Q&A and a reception. Refreshments will be served.
This event is free and open to the public. Please join us.
http://socialwelfare.berkeley.edu/ Phone:(510) 643-5433
28 comments:
Someone should ask this question to her at the Q/A:
Is it true that your action you took against Hun Sen more of a personal political career benefits than to do any good for the greater Cambodian population?
How is the law suit beneficial to the starving Cambodian?
What the lawsuits really show are that you are also an elitist fighting another group of elitists just to save your face and you are not doing anything good for the Cambodian people by trying to look tough and save your ass.
Where is your priority, MP?
3:09AM
What is benefit you define in Cambodia? You see that her fighting for the rule of law is not beneficial for Cambodians? Where is your vision and brain?
Sochua is carrying out her duty as a parliamentary in foreign land to bring the fame and dignity of Cambodia to the international stage.
3:09 AM, you are among the idiot who is too blind and too dumb without conscious still believing in this Evil dictator Youn slave. Have you no shame to ask such stupid question? I hope you are not Khmer, because if you are, you would be able to have some sense of compassion for PM Sochua who is sacrificing her life and family by attempting to prove to the world that there is a fake Democracy in Cambodia. If you are Khmer, what have you done for Cambodia? What right do you have to accuse her action as a political motivation? She could have done like you by sitting your ass doing nothing and bitch about the problem.
You guys have any idea how highly ranked U of Cal at Berkeley is? This should be a big event/honor for any speaker. In my opinion, Berkeley and Harvard are two of the best universities in the world.
Compatriots:
Have you read the past History of Khmer fall under Viet svallowing a piece of our Khmer lands: Champa & Kampuchea Krom.
The Siam grapped our lands in the North & west site; thus those past history because of greedy powers and corruptions of our leaders and its cronies.
Don't you think the past history will not repeat under the current regime or we need change through peaceful path of free and fair election that will not under threatening and intimidations per se??????
I have no party affiliation indeed love to see Srok Khmer rise.
Mu SU Chea, A Khmer woman MP pop up in international arena has ever been to change our culture of shadow ultra socialist tyranny under previous leader in the earlier 60,and it's still exixsting nowsadays .
Khmer Love Khmer
3;09AM, Mrs, Mu should never be asked any question regarding all Khmer people's standard of living. All your questions should by yourself be posed on Hun Sen the dictator because no opposition activists have ever done anything to harm their people. What they have done so far is to slow down the corrupted family tree, which I name them as Khmer society leeches, from sucking so much blood of Khmer people, if not completely stop them. It's so sad that all patriots have no power to achieve what they had wished for. If they had power to do things as the blind mad dog has done, Khmer people would be far better than they are now!
Fuck You Mu Sochua don't you come back to my country. Let your white man helps you there.
(For those write long sentence like a book, I will not read it.)
OMG I HATE HER FUCKING FACE
EVERYTIME THEY SHOW HER MU SUCHUA WHAT EVER THE FUCK HER NAME IS....SHE IS EITHER WEARING THAT SAME PURPLE OUTFIT ARE HOLDING THAT FUCKING CANDLE........lol
That's good when you don't read, because it will hurt an idiot like you more. And it's best if you don't read at all, because most of Hun Sen's dogs don't read; they bark!
...and let me continue by saying: Cambodia belongs to all Khmer. She does not belong to you alone. You are less Khmer than most Khmer are, as you advocate the puppet of Vietnam.
Thank you for proving a point, CPP can not read. May God bless you!
...and every time when Hun Sen begs to be invited to preside any graduation or a ceremony of school opening, we've never heard Hun Sen giving his speech about the value of education. WHY? Because he himself is not an educated man. How can a dumb fool give such a speech. Every time when he opens his mouth to speak, he speak arrogantly about how to suppress or get rid of the patriots who dare challenge him. You see how savage and cruel this blind mad dog is? Without the Yuons protection this ill-bred man would have been gone with the wind along time ago by some challengers in his own party.
@3:05PM
MP MUSUCHEA will not destroy her own homeland.
Vietnamization will !!!!!!!!!
To MP Mu Sochua,
Will you apology to Ah Khwak Hun Xen in order for you to go back to Cambodia? I think you will.
i think it's good that she takes the cause overseas at well-known universities and talk about it. it will help her cause when people understand it. yes, there are a lot of students overseas who wanted to study or learn more about cambodian law and system, etc... it is good idea that she discuss it all over the world.
Question should be asked is to bring about the real practical implementations of cambodian national constitution.
To comply with agreed constitution, is the key to resolve all the abuses and tension in cambodia.
To see that 1991 peace accord is fruitful, unless those countries provide aids are more assertives.
Providing aids and steering mechanism like NGOs are not enough into changing cambodia to get out of killing field.
This is a good international intellectial level that will bring hope to cambodians.
Neang SA
MP MUSOCHUA will save our homeland.
Vietnamization of Land, Air, Sea
dancing KARAOKE of viet puppets.. while army of Viet Ant taking food to nest.
Khmers.
Mu Sochea got her name as an aka(strong leg), after she has lost her defamation case versus Hun Sen, her husband got his name after all as an aka (strong hand) with a sensitive fingers.
Friend of Angkorian Krama Man
maybe students in america who interested in studying international conflict and resolution, etc. can learn from cases like this from cambodia. god bless.
6:06AM
While your master is talking cheap, you are talking shitt
It would be a great presentation...I will drive from long distant to attend this talk.
Thanks Mu for your contribution.
YOu see how illiterate these cpp supporters are THESE posters are like that Hor Numb Hole, logistic of a 12 years old
yes, there's a lot to learn, i'm sure! good for her contribution to humanity. god bless.
Here, the question what Mu Suchua aka (strong leg) can do to save her political career before she can serve Cambodia?. Therefore,her hushand (strong hand) with sensitive fingers will not help her much, so it will be a submission.
Friend of Angkorian Krama Man
Disgrace Mu Sochua’s problem all along, is that she is trying to be a politician. She's not, never has been and quite obviously, never will be. She should have just been herself, provide alternative policies and show Khmer people what a great alternative MP opposition she would be. Instead, her foray into being a politician has been a disaster. She comes across as pretending to be something she's not. Now, her political career is on the line and herself also in the hot water.
While the nation is facing complex economic, social and environmental issues disgrace Mu Sochua tried to promote her political stunt, aimed to get media attention. If this wasn’t such a clear demonstration of her selfish pursuit of personal ambition it would be laughable. There is no doubt that Mu Sochua has no real regard for the best interest of the nation. She is driven solely by a desire to become a “Champion of Women or new Aung San Suu Kyi” by any means available to her, even if that has the potential to destabilize the country. Even worse she now says that she will appeal her case against Prime Minister Hun Sen to the Appeal court following the announcement of her guilty verdict by the Phnom Penh municipal court.
People of integrity admit their faults, make amends and are judged fairly...Disgrace Mu Sochua is lacking in integrity and common sense and tries to change Cambodia into her own world. As long as Cambodia’s Court doesn’t issue any verdict which is fitted for her political stunt, she will scream for the justice all day long.
Khmer Australian
KA,
Your talking is low class
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:
Tortures
Executions
Massacres
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Overwork to Death
Slavery
Rapes
Human Abuses
Assault and Battery
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leader of the Free Trade Union
Attempted Assassinations on Chea Vichea and Sam Rainsy
Attempted Murders on Chea Vichea and Sam Rainsy
Executed members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders members and activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Killings
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonation on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and others military official on board.
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Remove Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
Plunder National Resources
Acid Attacks
Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country
Oppression
Injustice
Steal Votes
Bring Foreigners from Veitnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
Abuse of Power
Abuse the Laws
Abuse the National Election Committee
Abuse the National Assembly
Violate the Laws
Violate the Constitution
Violate the Paris Accords
Impunity
Under Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed all of these crimes above within Hun Sen Khmer Rouge government have ever been brought to justice.
UNDER AGE CHILD SEX
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed under age child sex.
Svay Sitha is a senior government official from Cambodian People's Party.
Svay Sitha had a sexual relationship with Tat Marina, she was only 16 years old.
Source: Human Rights Watch
ACID ATTACK ON TAT MARINA
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed acid attack.
"On December 5, 1999, Tat Marina, age 16, was severely disfigured in an acid attack in Phnom Penh. The attack was allegedly committed by Khun Sophal, the wife of a senior government official, Svay Sitha, because she was angry her husband had a sexual relationship with Tat Marina. Neither Khun Sophal nor those suspected of being her accomplices in the attack were brought to justice. Intense media publicity compelled the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Khun Sophal for attempted murder, but the police claimed that they could not locate her, although journalists reported that she was living at home as usual."
Source: Human Rights Watch
TORTURE AND MURDER ON PRAK SITHA WHILE IN CUSTODY BY MISNISTRY OF INTERIOR OFFICIAL
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed torture and murder.
"On the night of January 16, 2003, a street youth named Prak Sitha was beaten to death at the Ministry of Interior (MOI) headquarters after he was arrested and detained by off-duty MOI officers on suspicion of theft. His body - bearing numerous injuries to the head, torso, arms, and legs - was dumped at a Phnom Penh pagoda the following morning by ministry officers, in violation of police regulations regarding deaths in custody. No criminal charges were filed in connection with this death. In December 2004, the case was cited by the UN secretary-general's special representative for human rights in Cambodia - who stated that Prak Sitha died at the ministry "following beatings by a known police officer" - as an example of a "consistent and continuing pattern of impunity" in Cambodia."
Source: Human Rights Watch
PUT SAMPHORS WAS SHOT DEAD BY MEAN SOKCHEA, A RCAF MAJOR WORKING IN BRIGADE 70.
Hun Sen's personal Bodyguards Unit (Brigade 70) is a terrorist organization.
Hing Bunheang is a March 30, 1997 Grenade Attack suspect identified by the FBI.
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed murder, again.
"On September 4, 2008, Mean Sokchea, a RCAF major working in Brigade 70, shot dead 21-year-old waitress Put Samphors at a restaurant in Kandal province. Mean Sokchea, in a drunken stupor, fired his gun and apparently mistakenly hit Put Samphors in the stomach. She was taken to a hospital but later died of her wounds. Mean Sokchea was detained by the police overnight but was then released, allegedly after intervention by Hing Bun Heang. Put Samphor's family received US$2,700 from Mean Sokchea, and the police told them that their daughter was shot while authorities were chasing robbers."
Source: Human Rights Watch
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