Dr. Kek Galabru (C) (Photo: SRP)By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
25 September 2009
Kek Galabru, founder and president of the rights group Licadho, testified before a US congressional hearing on human rights earlier this month. Following the Sept. 10 hearing, which was held amid concerns the government was cracking down on dissenters, Kek Galabru spoke to VOA Khmer in Washington.
She urged reconciliation between the government and civic groups, and outlined the necessary components of a working democracy, including freedoms and the rule of law.
“I regret that the government still doesn’t understand our intention and classifies NGOs as the enemy of the government,” she said.
Cambodia is like an ill patient, she said, but the symptoms need diagnosed, she said. “It’s just like the doctor. If we want the right medication, we need to tell this kind of sickness or that kind of sickness.”
She said she wanted to work as a partner of the government, not an antagonist.
“Let’s sit down together as Khmer and work with the same intention,” she said. “The government and NGOs are not different at all. It’s just that the government has more financial and human resources. For my group, we need to ask for assistance from outside.
“So we’ll sit together, Khmer and Khmer, and we can find the same formula and cooperate together, and when our country has prosperity, when the people are happy, have enough money, when everyone has land, who will receive the credit? Not the NGOs. They will say, ‘Oh! This government is working good to serve the people; behold.’”
In the meantime, a democracy requires freedom of access to information; freedom of assembly, for peaceful demonstrations and other association; and freedom of expression.
It requires not just a high quantity of newspapers, but quality as well, “good quality writing, without fear, complaint, criminal charges, imprisonment,” she said.
Modern Cambodia is a product of the Paris Peace Accords, signed by 18 countries, including the US, she said. Donors came together to help restore Cambodia, including its court system, to be independent.
“Why so?” she said. “Because any real democratic country, where the people have a good standard of living and the people are in good shape, with good development of their society and economy—they need an independent court system, and if it’s not independent, it’s impossible.”
“So I asked the US, do they have any means to please help reform our court system,” she said.
Kek Galabru also said she did not support the concept of cutting aid money from the US over alleged rights abuses.
“I’m concerned that the people and the poor would be impacted,” she said. “I do not want a cut in aid money. But I want a superpower country that has more abilities, like the US, to seek all means to cooperate with the Cambodian government, to reform them well.”
She urged reconciliation between the government and civic groups, and outlined the necessary components of a working democracy, including freedoms and the rule of law.
“I regret that the government still doesn’t understand our intention and classifies NGOs as the enemy of the government,” she said.
Cambodia is like an ill patient, she said, but the symptoms need diagnosed, she said. “It’s just like the doctor. If we want the right medication, we need to tell this kind of sickness or that kind of sickness.”
She said she wanted to work as a partner of the government, not an antagonist.
“Let’s sit down together as Khmer and work with the same intention,” she said. “The government and NGOs are not different at all. It’s just that the government has more financial and human resources. For my group, we need to ask for assistance from outside.
“So we’ll sit together, Khmer and Khmer, and we can find the same formula and cooperate together, and when our country has prosperity, when the people are happy, have enough money, when everyone has land, who will receive the credit? Not the NGOs. They will say, ‘Oh! This government is working good to serve the people; behold.’”
In the meantime, a democracy requires freedom of access to information; freedom of assembly, for peaceful demonstrations and other association; and freedom of expression.
It requires not just a high quantity of newspapers, but quality as well, “good quality writing, without fear, complaint, criminal charges, imprisonment,” she said.
Modern Cambodia is a product of the Paris Peace Accords, signed by 18 countries, including the US, she said. Donors came together to help restore Cambodia, including its court system, to be independent.
“Why so?” she said. “Because any real democratic country, where the people have a good standard of living and the people are in good shape, with good development of their society and economy—they need an independent court system, and if it’s not independent, it’s impossible.”
“So I asked the US, do they have any means to please help reform our court system,” she said.
Kek Galabru also said she did not support the concept of cutting aid money from the US over alleged rights abuses.
“I’m concerned that the people and the poor would be impacted,” she said. “I do not want a cut in aid money. But I want a superpower country that has more abilities, like the US, to seek all means to cooperate with the Cambodian government, to reform them well.”
6 comments:
this is smart way, when think about it. cambodia already experienced a lot of problem in society and nation history as a whole, i don't think we need anymore problem from anyone, really. yes, it is better to work together as partners than as antagonists. please wake up already and see the bigger world. we are only hurting ourselves and our country, unnecessary. instead, we all should be focusing on developing our nation together and so our lives and country can become better in the infinite future of our nation cambodia. please wake up and be smarter. two wrongs don't usually make it right, and yes, there are more to cambodia than you and i, really. they get their chance and you'll get your chance as well, sooner or later, especially if we work cooperative together to benefit our nation and people, really! let's all make our people proud of us as leaders as cambodia and the world is changing. please continue to learn from everybody all over the world. god bless cambodia.
yes, a good leader is the one who often emphasizes unity and love among ourselves and country. please think about it.
please wake up and cleanse ourselves from evil forces and start anew. this way, we all will feel better both spiritually and less stressful as well. there's no such thing as too late, really! may god bless cambodia and all our beautiful khmer way and khmer people and citizens.
It's ricdiculous indeed that there are too many one-star, two-star, and three-star generals in a small country like Cambodia. It's about fifteen times more than in the 60's and 70's. This excludes Hun Sen's personal bodyguars.
Why Hun Sen promoted his officers, some of whom are not ecademically trained, to a ridiculous number?
1- He promoted the other officers, so he can promote his own son without being criticized by them.
2-When his son reaches the rank of a three-star general, he will become a military commander-in-chief of the country.
3-When his son become a commander-in-chief, Hun Sen will slowly turn Cambodia into a military-ruled country.
4-When Cambodia become a military-ruled country, Hun Sen families and his clique will be the sole owners of our motherland.
There is no doubt about why Hun Sen has too many bodyguards to protect him: it's because he wants to stay in stolen power until he fulfils his plan. Hus Sen has extravagantly spent the national budget for the above purpose, and this is a real waste of it.
To stop this blind mad dog from fulfilling his goal, which is not at all for the interest of the country nor benificial to Khmer people, all freedom-loving Khmers living inside and outside of the country must be unite and resolute in our endeavour to peacefully challenge to Hun Sen's betryal step before it's too late.
Up with the people!
Down with the dictator!
I transfer my previous comment for Mr. 3:514:13AM,
If your teacher cannot pronounce English words right, students will do the same. Do you knwo what is the most important in studying English? The most important criteria is pronunciation. It doesn't matter how much a person can speak English, if he cannot pronounce each word correctly, foreigners won't understand him either.
"be smarter"? the same be taller.
A person cannot be smarter than he is. He can gain more knowledge through his endeavour of learning, but he cannot gain more IQ than he naturally has.AM only:
correction: for Mr. 3:51AM only:
ខ្ញុំរស់នៅស្រុកអាមេរិក៣០ឆ្នាំហើយមិនឮេវិទ្យុអាស៊ី
សេរីនិយាយមួយមាត់ទៅប្រាប់រដ្ធាភិបាលអាមេរិក
ទេ។មិនដួចចិនយួនសាស្តដទៃៗទៀតគេច្រើនតែ
រាយការទៅប្រមុខរាជរដ្ធាភិបាលថាប្រជាជនរបស់គេ
រស់នៅមិនបានសុខប៉ុន្មានទេគឺដោយសារតែមាន
អ្នកមិនដឹងខុសត្រូវមកយាយីពលរដ្ធរបស់ផងគេជា
រៀងរាល់ថ្ងៃ។
ចំណែកវិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរីនឹងសមាគម៍ខ្មែរប្រចាំតំបន់
ដែលខ្មែរយើងបានរស់នៅគ្មានពាក្យមួយមាត់
សួរទៅគេទេ។បើតាមខ្ញុំគិតពួកគេនឹងគិតថាពលរដ្ធ
ខ្មែរដែលលោករស់នៅទីនោះជាអ្នកក្រជាអ្នកមិន
ចេះភាសាររបស់គេជាអ្នកល្ងង់ទើបតែចេញពីរបប
ពលពតដួច្នេះហើយបានជាពួកគេហ្នឹងមិនយកចិត្ត
ទុក្ខដាក់នៅប្រពលរដ្ធខ្មែរ។បើមិនជឿខ្ញុំសូមសើប
មើលទៅបើខ្ញុំនិវាខុស។
Post a Comment