(Photo: SRP Pennsylvania)By Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
16 October 2009
A recent congressional reproach of Cambodia’s corruption and political repression is not meant as an attack on the government, a US official says, but it is meant to demonstrate to the Cambodian people they are not alone.
Four US congressmen issued a House resolution earlier this month censuring pervasive corruption and continued human trafficking, a message government officials have dismissed.
“We, the United States government, are aware of what is going on within your borders; and while Cambodia is a sovereign country it is also part of the international community,” the office of Rep. Jim Moran, who was among those sponsoring the resolution, said in a statement to VOA Khmer explaining the resolution’s intent.
“We, the United States, cannot stand by idly when we see the people of Cambodia lack what we here in the US take for granted—the freedom to speak up, move around and live where we wish, without the danger of persecution and prosecution,” the statement said.
The resolution—introduced Oct. 8 by representatives Ed Royce, a Republican from California; Frank Wolf, a Republican from Virginia; Moran, a Democrat from Virginia; and Anh Josept Cao, a Republican from Louisiana—calls on the House of Representatives to condemn the repression of opposition candidates by the ruling party and calls on the Cambodian government to better combat the “worsening problem” of human trafficking.
Cheam Yiep, a parliamentarian for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, told VOA Khmer earlier this week the resolution was one-sided and not accepted by the government.
“Everything we do is based on our laws,” he said. “Our laws and those of the US are different. You, the sharp-nosed, live more than 1,000 kilometers away, and I live in Asia. I, as a lawmaker voted in by voters, make laws based on what my people need. I thank you for sharing your concern, but the concern is unthoughtful, without analysis, without estimation, and without clear checks and balances.”
“You’ve based [the resolution] on only one side,” he said, referring to testimony by an opposition lawmaker, a leading rights advocate, and a union representative to the House’s Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission last month. “This is inappropriate and unacceptable.”
In fact, sponsors of the resolution cited the rights commission testimonies and reports from the US State Department, Human Rights Watch, a UN special envoy for human rights, and the international environmental watchdog Global Witness, as cause for the censure.
Moran’s statement, issued Tuesday, said the congressmen’s “interest in Cambodia is not due to what the US can gain, but how the US can assist a country whose people strive for freedom of expression, thought and movement, but whose own government is knowingly preventing those functions from taking place.”
The resolution has moved to the House Committee for Foreign Affairs, officials said.
Four US congressmen issued a House resolution earlier this month censuring pervasive corruption and continued human trafficking, a message government officials have dismissed.
“We, the United States government, are aware of what is going on within your borders; and while Cambodia is a sovereign country it is also part of the international community,” the office of Rep. Jim Moran, who was among those sponsoring the resolution, said in a statement to VOA Khmer explaining the resolution’s intent.
“We, the United States, cannot stand by idly when we see the people of Cambodia lack what we here in the US take for granted—the freedom to speak up, move around and live where we wish, without the danger of persecution and prosecution,” the statement said.
The resolution—introduced Oct. 8 by representatives Ed Royce, a Republican from California; Frank Wolf, a Republican from Virginia; Moran, a Democrat from Virginia; and Anh Josept Cao, a Republican from Louisiana—calls on the House of Representatives to condemn the repression of opposition candidates by the ruling party and calls on the Cambodian government to better combat the “worsening problem” of human trafficking.
Cheam Yiep, a parliamentarian for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, told VOA Khmer earlier this week the resolution was one-sided and not accepted by the government.
“Everything we do is based on our laws,” he said. “Our laws and those of the US are different. You, the sharp-nosed, live more than 1,000 kilometers away, and I live in Asia. I, as a lawmaker voted in by voters, make laws based on what my people need. I thank you for sharing your concern, but the concern is unthoughtful, without analysis, without estimation, and without clear checks and balances.”
“You’ve based [the resolution] on only one side,” he said, referring to testimony by an opposition lawmaker, a leading rights advocate, and a union representative to the House’s Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission last month. “This is inappropriate and unacceptable.”
In fact, sponsors of the resolution cited the rights commission testimonies and reports from the US State Department, Human Rights Watch, a UN special envoy for human rights, and the international environmental watchdog Global Witness, as cause for the censure.
Moran’s statement, issued Tuesday, said the congressmen’s “interest in Cambodia is not due to what the US can gain, but how the US can assist a country whose people strive for freedom of expression, thought and movement, but whose own government is knowingly preventing those functions from taking place.”
The resolution has moved to the House Committee for Foreign Affairs, officials said.
13 comments:
Your country always says that congressmen, but look what you did to us in 1975. Your government abandoned us, and let the KR kill almost two million Khmers.
You encourage people to pick up a fight every where in the world and when the real troubles start you abandons them.
Hello poster 3:21AM,
Now you still have khmer rouge leaders such as Chea Sim, Heng Samrin, Sim Ka, Ouk Bunchoeurn, Tep Kunnal, Hun Sen, Kun Kim, Kiet Chhon. Hor Nam Hong etc.. and etc.. they were all killers.
What do you want to do with them?
Areak Prey
3:52Am If by me let bring them to an Independent International Court!
We need to appeal to USA congressmen to assist our Cambodian people to refer these so called Oknha landrobbers such as Ly Yong Phat, Yeay Phu, Yeay Phan, Yeay Oy to International criminal court. This morning I heard from CCTV 9 from China that a few Israel soldiers have been refered to that court already for making suffering to palestine people during their assault of last year.
Therefore we need this kind of action for Cambodian criminals too.
Areak Prey
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:
Tortures
Brutality
Executions
Massacres
Mass Murder
Genocide
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Slavery
Force Labour
Overwork to Death
Human Abuses
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:
Attempted Murders
Attempted Murder on Chea Vichea
Attempted Assassinations
Attempted Assassination on Sam Rainsy
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Executions
Executed members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered Ros Sovannareth
Murdered Hy Vuthy
Murdered Khim Sambo
Murdered Khim Sambo's son
Murdered members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Murdered activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Murdered Innocent Men
Murdered Innocent Women
Murdered Innocent Children
Killed Innocent Khmer Peoples.
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Brutalities
Police Brutality Against Monks
Police Brutality Against Evictees
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Abuses
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Illegal Arrest
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonation on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and other military officials were on board.
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Removed 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.
Use Dead people's names to vote for Cambodian People's Party.
Disqualified potential Sam Rainsy Party's voters.
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
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Death in custody.
Under the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed crimes against journalists, political opponents, leaders of the Free Trade Union, innocent men, women and children have ever been brought to justice.
Mou Sok Huor, you do not realise yourself that the 2 guys who are with you are the spies of Hun Sen which they recieve money from Hun Sen monthly. These 2 guys work for CPP Hun Sen. You try till your life disappear, you will get nothing. I am telling you, madam.
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 lodged the 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.
No matter what she’s crying out to ask the US Congress to intervene with the Cambodian Parliament to re-instate her immunity back, but not much the US Congress can do. Indeed, she unabashedly criticized the Cambodian government and the Cambodian Parliament in front of US Congressmen on 10 September 2009, will put her even worst situation let alone ever get back her immunity.
Khmer Australian
Cambodia Town
Long Beach, Ca
Our voices had heard through U.S congress about border conflict with Thailand, from now on, Siam bandit should respect international law.
In Cambodia if the national assembly has more resources available, we can reduce force eviction, landgrabbing, corruption, respect human right, including riches people whom owned lot property to pay taxes .
New Phally
good job new phally, eventhough you are taking the wrong medicine i still said good
This is so much BS! These congressman don't know anything about what's going on in reality in Cambodia. The basically listen to people opposed to the duly democratically elected government, and basically everyone that reads this blog can see how many irrational and emotionally charged people make statements that have noting to do with the truth but are just attacks on anything the RGC does.
To Khmer Rouge supporters
Ah PPU aka Ah Anthony
Ah New Phally
Ah Khmer-Australian
Ah Krama Man
Ah Thana
Ah Thes Meas
Ah Mercedez Benz (Identity Thief)
Ah Rorleay
You're support Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime who is killing innocent Khmer peoples.
Please do me a favor don't ever tell anyone that you are Khmer, because you make Khmer peoples look bad.
I am very disappointed that not one of Khmer Rouge supporters have any comment about the six Khmer Rouge leaders summon by Khmer Rouge Tribunal court.
11Pm you are a khmer traitor yourself, We khmer overseas are not bias people like you! we noramally passes our knowledgs and skills to our new generations to learn from us and to see a bigger pictures on how to improve the quality of lives for all individuals, So if you are not an open minded than just pist off ok and be a dumber person to yourself. Our kills are valueable for those who are willing to learn whether you like it or not bad luck.
Our kills are valueable for those who are willing to learn whether you like it or not bad luck.
Quote from previöus post-very unfortunate typo really in a cambodian context
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