September 30, 2009
Source: SRP
PHNOM PENH – September 30 – Starting 1 October, 2009, Members of Parliament the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) will join the parliamentary debate on the current draft of the Penal Code, which has been passed by the Cambodian Council of Ministers, but must still be approved by the National Assembly.
The SRP welcomes efforts to reform the Penal Code, and recognizes many positive provisions. However, the current draft Code unduly restricts freedom of speech and assembly, the most fundamental of civil liberties. These freedoms allow for participation and creativity at a time when finding solutions to poverty, unemployment, land conflicts, corruption and other critical national issues should be the first priority of the Government. When lawmakers, NGO workers, journalists, trade unionists, villagers and others are not able to freely debate new ideas and challenge the status quo, development is restricted.
The SRP is particularly concerned about the surge in criminal prosecutions for defamation and disinformation against peaceful critics of the Government over the past six months that have attracted the attention of national and international sources. Based on the above facts, SRP strongly urges that articles related to defamation and insult be removed from the Draft Penal Code. SRP recommends and welcomes a new draft law on these issues or include them in the current Civil Code through amendments.
For immediate release, contact: 012 788 999
The SRP welcomes efforts to reform the Penal Code, and recognizes many positive provisions. However, the current draft Code unduly restricts freedom of speech and assembly, the most fundamental of civil liberties. These freedoms allow for participation and creativity at a time when finding solutions to poverty, unemployment, land conflicts, corruption and other critical national issues should be the first priority of the Government. When lawmakers, NGO workers, journalists, trade unionists, villagers and others are not able to freely debate new ideas and challenge the status quo, development is restricted.
The SRP is particularly concerned about the surge in criminal prosecutions for defamation and disinformation against peaceful critics of the Government over the past six months that have attracted the attention of national and international sources. Based on the above facts, SRP strongly urges that articles related to defamation and insult be removed from the Draft Penal Code. SRP recommends and welcomes a new draft law on these issues or include them in the current Civil Code through amendments.
For immediate release, contact: 012 788 999
1 comment:
Cambodian governments need to be more open to our society by allowing the freedom of speech for individuals. Governments need to learn to step into a world of having a sense of humour. Like Aust, people can joke around about their political leaders without getting into trouble. The freedom of speech is not always that serious and Political leaders no need to make a big deal out of it, like a resting workers or editors and imprisonment them, in doing so to shut them up and so on. This is wrong, good governments don't need to use and abuse their power. Prime Minister Hun Sen needs to allow all political leaders the right to debate to reach a common goal and common interest to improve the quality of life of its citizen e.g. create a welfare system like all for one and one for all; putting new infrastructures such as roads, housing, hospital and schools etc . All political leaders need to learn to move away from personal conflicts but more focusing on what else needs to done, like maybe the improvement between one country to the next like Asian nations come together as one like, Asian nation money would be called “Asiano or Asian Mono” which is similar to European nation money called “Euro”. We need to think about what is more productive? E.g. everyone is equally important (one death is too many), creating an international safety net and so on. Aust
Post a Comment