By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer Washington
27 November 2009
The National Assembly should be a place of justice and fairness, with serious weight given the suspended immunities of its members, a democracy advocate said Thursday.
“What is important is that there should be a place to find right and wrong and what is just in the National Assembly, and if immunity is removed, it should not be done very quickly like this,” said Hang Chhaya, executive director of the Khmer Institute for Democracy, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”
Hang Chhaya was referring to the Nov. 16 suspension of opposition leader Sam Rainsy’s parliamentary immunity, the third opposition suspension this year.
Sam Rainsy is facing charges in Svay Rieng of incitement and destruction of property, after villagers reportedly angered by Vietnamese encroachment allegedly pulled border markets out of the ground in Chantrea district.
Hang Chhaya echoed concerns of US congressman Chris Smith, a Republican from New Jersey, who said this week that such court cases and the removal of parliamentary immunity could hurt democratic debate in the nation’s legislative body.
Callers to “Hello VOA” Thursday showed wide condemnation for the suspension, which occurred with only members of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party present.
“Sam Rainsy is a member of parliament, and he has the right to serve the people,” said a caller named Un.
“What the government has done to strip [his] immunity is a clear threat not only to Sam Rainsy but other MPs,” said a caller named Ma. “That’s not respectful of freedom and people’s confidentiality, because those are representatives of the people.”
“What is important is that there should be a place to find right and wrong and what is just in the National Assembly, and if immunity is removed, it should not be done very quickly like this,” said Hang Chhaya, executive director of the Khmer Institute for Democracy, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”
Hang Chhaya was referring to the Nov. 16 suspension of opposition leader Sam Rainsy’s parliamentary immunity, the third opposition suspension this year.
Sam Rainsy is facing charges in Svay Rieng of incitement and destruction of property, after villagers reportedly angered by Vietnamese encroachment allegedly pulled border markets out of the ground in Chantrea district.
Hang Chhaya echoed concerns of US congressman Chris Smith, a Republican from New Jersey, who said this week that such court cases and the removal of parliamentary immunity could hurt democratic debate in the nation’s legislative body.
Callers to “Hello VOA” Thursday showed wide condemnation for the suspension, which occurred with only members of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party present.
“Sam Rainsy is a member of parliament, and he has the right to serve the people,” said a caller named Un.
“What the government has done to strip [his] immunity is a clear threat not only to Sam Rainsy but other MPs,” said a caller named Ma. “That’s not respectful of freedom and people’s confidentiality, because those are representatives of the people.”
17 comments:
Khmer proverb says that people live and died because of tongue or words.
Because of this proverb, some of us are too afraid to say anything. They are afraid if they say something wrong, they will be killed. That is true from our history and cultue. Pol Pot killed those who says differentl from him. Hun Sen kills, persecute and jail those who says something against him.
By our culture, we are taught not to question our teachers and our parents for whatever they do. We are not taught to think critically. We are taught to follow the book and listen to parents and teacher.
This cultre should change if we are ging to live in true democracy where everyone has freedom to speak whatever they wish though right or wrong. We should challeng our teacher, our parents and our leaders in respectful ways.
People representative's job is to speak. and as position party's job is to observe and speak. Now Mr. Sam Ransy was told to shut up his mouth. What is he goiing to do then? Mr. Sam Ransy should be able to speak freely though right or wrong, good or bad. He is a mirrow to governmnt who is doer. Without Sam Ransy, government of Hun Sen will have hard time to get fund and aid from US and other democratic countries. China may give a lot but it is dangerous to get money from China. Because Sam Ransy speaks, our country is rich like today. If he does not speak, I can not imagine our country would be like. Maybe worse than Burma.
Majority of them in the Khmer National assembly are traitors and former murders. Who don't give a f..k about the farmers who lost their lands.
Where is the bloody King?
the lifting of Mr Sam Rainsy's immunity is indeed oxymornic and contradictory to the cambodian national motto--"Nation, King, Religion" Sam Rainsy acted to protect the khmer national interest; he is a khmer hero.
MR. Sam Ransy's job is to speak. Now he is forced to shut up. What is Hun Sen government trying to do? He is trying to shut up MR. Sam Ransy and he is trying to restrict NGO by making NGO law. Can you guess what will happen next?
next,hun sen will be Chao Vay Khet Khmer of Youn .who want to bet?
The King of Cambodia following a careful policy to preserve His throne continues to serve only the ruling party, when there is a conflict, and not everyone in Cambodia as He should have done since He is the embodiment of a father of the nation.
The virtue of the monarchy in Cambodia in our modern time is to provide at least justice to every Cambodian and to guarantee the survival of the Cambodian nation without whom the existence of the monarchy is meaningless.
A Khmer proverb clearly states that in order to live one has to be willing to die.
The King has chosen to preserve His office by not risking its existence and for that reason its existence shall become weaker and weaker and eventually its role and therefore the King's will be irrelevant in the country.
As Cambodians get smarter with newer and more educated generation of people, the existence of the monarchy will be strongly challenged and its influences sidelined since its purpose to exist will come into serious debate and tradition alone will not be able to help its survival anymore.
To die with a great purpose and meaning is better than to exist with the purpose to exist only.
Anet Khmer
5:04, "Mnus rous nung peak" or "people live with words" and also die with word is indeed a Khmer saying, a wise adage.
But depending on who you ask, the interpretation appear vary as it showed from your reflection above.
For me, I never lived by the negative interpretation of that meaning. I have parents who constantly reminded me of this saying as I was growing up, but not once did they implied that to shut up and and be subservient was the moral of that saying.
On the contrary, to "live and die with words" is a call from the elders to all Khmer people to stand up and defend one's owners through truth truth, wisdoms and eloquence of speech.
This was what I learned from that statement, that was what the people I honored taught me.
Either you been been getting the wrong message your whole life, or the people who grew up had a very negative perspective of life.
Faire a Paris (France) le Vendredi, 27 Novembre, 2009
Dear Campatriots
Cambodian parliament was Vietnam slaves, include government, justice, king.
(Signed) Sam Rainxy
Don't just believe a saying, dude. Use your brain.
Don't rely on the royal family to do anything positive. They are the reason for Cambodia's downfall for 400 years. They don't have any true leadership. One of the king's son is a wanna-be playboy filmmaker and the other is a ballerina. Artists as Cambodia's leaders of tomorrow? What a joke. In the mean time Hun Sen is sending his sons Virginia Military Institute (VMI). VMI is not an easy school to get into. They are being groomed as future leaders. I am not a fan of the CPP. You have to give them credit.
Heng samrin has another wife as vietnames girl and has two children, ignorant khmer leader have been crazy with girl that's why we lost our land kompuchea kroum and we have been losing our own independent like nowarday. what they have done not for khmer interest but just for theirself only.
Our Kings now are not important anymore. As many and many more people get suffer and pains every day. Economy down, jobs lose, poor farming. Where are our kings who boost that protect people, love people. How ? Please the kings say something. Please..........
If Sam Rainsy is right, if the Cambodian farmers are correct, if the poles planted illegally in the Cambodian territory, then who is the nation traitor?
6:34
Your statement is full of contradictory. First of all you said the Cambodia downfall for the last 400 yrs because of the royal family. (Let's assume that the new scientific discovery the colapse of Khmer civilisation was due to the drought for more than 20 consecutive years is false.) Was the era before 400 years wasn't build by Khmer kings?
You stated some royal family is a ballerina dancer and the other is playboy film maker. Wall, different human being has different taste. And whose to judge one form of education is more superior to the other? How about Hun sen? He doesn't even have any formal education at all. The only formal education he had was a degree in bowind to his viet boss. In addition, the only reason his son got into West Point not because of his special ability but because each year the U.S. the slot available for foreign countries who have a good standing relationship with the US.
Ps I am not in anyway related to the royal family. However, I believe that many greatness and acomplishments, in the most part, were owed to kings and queens of the past.
Khmer K
សូមបងប្អូនស្រាវជ្រាវវែបសាយនេះបងប្អូននិងដឺងថានរណាជាឃាតករ
http://devaraja.free.fr/khcrucial-event/sihanouk-crime/1sihanouk-photos.htm
Please look at this website you will see who is the true killer and who need to bring into the court after duch.
http://devaraja.free.fr/khcrucial-event/1sihanouk-crime.htm
Dear Khmers,
Let us review Khmer Leaderships:
At East, Khmers've played Chak-tek Doung Me-long Mela..., and West, Khmer has pregnant dog, at North, Hun San run out off minds, he joints Tri-development with VN+Khmer+Lao.
Finally, Cambodia is for SALE!
Should we elect him again at 2013?
Red-Ant.
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