DPA
Phnom Penh - The Cambodian authorities are finalizing a law to criminalize acid attacks and expect to send it to parliament by April local media reported Friday. The deputy head of a government committee drafting the law said the government had recorded eight acid attacks this year alone.
Ouk Kimlek told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper that those found guilty of carrying out the most serious acid attacks should face life in jail, as should those who help them.
"We are trying to do our best to create an acid [attack] law in order to protect people and society," he said.
The announcement comes after the government had earlier refused to regulate the sale of acid to combat an apparent surge in attacks in which people are injured or killed after being doused with strong acids such as sulphuric acid.
Currently, attackers are charged with generic criminal offences such as attempted murder or lesser charges.
Many acid attacks, which cause substantial disfigurement and sometimes death, involve assaults on women perceived as love rivals.
Human rights groups said the proposed law must be implemented impartially in order to combat an ongoing record of impunity of the powerful involved in acid attacks.
"I want to see equal practice between people in power and poor people," said Kek Pung, the president of Cambodian human rights organization Licadho.
Kek Pung told the newspaper that the government should also ensure there is sufficient money available to provide specialized in-country care for victims.
At present the worst-affected are taken to neighbouring Vietnam. That was the case in December when a 16-year-old contestant in a beauty pageant was doused with acid by her cousins, who felt she was condescending and arrogant towards them.
Ouk Kimlek said the law would also regulate the transport, production and sale of acid, and require anyone purchasing acid to be at least 20 years old. Vendors would need to be licensed with the government.
The Cambodian Acid Survivors' Charity said at least 194 people were victims of acid attacks between 1985 and 2009, although the actual number of victims is thought to be higher.
Strong acids are widely available in Cambodia, where they are used in the processing of rubber and for domestic purposes.
Ouk Kimlek told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper that those found guilty of carrying out the most serious acid attacks should face life in jail, as should those who help them.
"We are trying to do our best to create an acid [attack] law in order to protect people and society," he said.
The announcement comes after the government had earlier refused to regulate the sale of acid to combat an apparent surge in attacks in which people are injured or killed after being doused with strong acids such as sulphuric acid.
Currently, attackers are charged with generic criminal offences such as attempted murder or lesser charges.
Many acid attacks, which cause substantial disfigurement and sometimes death, involve assaults on women perceived as love rivals.
Human rights groups said the proposed law must be implemented impartially in order to combat an ongoing record of impunity of the powerful involved in acid attacks.
"I want to see equal practice between people in power and poor people," said Kek Pung, the president of Cambodian human rights organization Licadho.
Kek Pung told the newspaper that the government should also ensure there is sufficient money available to provide specialized in-country care for victims.
At present the worst-affected are taken to neighbouring Vietnam. That was the case in December when a 16-year-old contestant in a beauty pageant was doused with acid by her cousins, who felt she was condescending and arrogant towards them.
Ouk Kimlek said the law would also regulate the transport, production and sale of acid, and require anyone purchasing acid to be at least 20 years old. Vendors would need to be licensed with the government.
The Cambodian Acid Survivors' Charity said at least 194 people were victims of acid attacks between 1985 and 2009, although the actual number of victims is thought to be higher.
Strong acids are widely available in Cambodia, where they are used in the processing of rubber and for domestic purposes.
6 comments:
it's about time to put this law into use. too many criminals are getting away after intentionally harming others. nothing can justify this heineous act, really! in america, if you something like pouring acid at someone or intentionally harming them, you not only go to prison, you will get sued as well, really. so, cambodia should have a law like this, you know!
Khun Sophal and Svine Sitha should be life in jail. Do not ignore these duo and their helpers. If the passed out the law and do not take action against Khun Sophal, then Cambodia still is a corrupted,favoritism, and dictator.
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
Pol Pot
Nuon Chea
Ieng Sary
Ta Mok
Khieu Samphan
Son Sen
Ieng Thearith
Kaing Kek Iev
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
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
Members:
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
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
Assassinated over 80 members of Sam Rainsy Party.
"But as of today, over eighty members of my party have been assassinated. Countless others have been injured, arrested, jailed, or forced to go into hiding or into exile."
Sam Rainsy LIC 31 October 2009 - Cairo, Egypt
Executions
Executed over 100 members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered 3 Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered Ros Sovannareth
Murdered Hy Vuthy
Murdered Journalists
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
Embezzlement
Treason
Border Encroachment, allow Vietnam to encroaching into Cambodia.
Signed away our territories to Vietnam; Koh Tral, almost half of our ocean territory oil field and others.
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.
i way i see it, people who committed past wrongs are often afraid for their own safety. so, to prevent this endless cycle of violence, i think the law or any new law should only start effective on the date it is ratisfied, not going back in the past that already happened. see, in america, if people qualified for benefits, etc, and there is new law to change something, they always go by the date of the law taken effective, not anything going before that date. this way, we can prevent fear in people, i mean fear either for losing benefit or fear from the punishment or penalized by this new law, etc... so, to give them a chance to repent their past wrong doing, etc, the any new law passed should only be effective on the date it passes onward. no retroact effectiveness for the law. it makes a lot of sense! plus, maybe people did change since then. think about it, of course, people are too much emotional, that's why think objectively, not subjectively, ok! it's all about education, really!
Good- this is long overdue! This is also a good example of how law are enacted in a parliamentary system which is the type of legislative system Cambodia has as well as most European countries, Africa and South America. Under that system, the laws come from the Executive side of government and then to the National Assembly, then Senate. This is in contrast to the US for example where laws mostly emanate from Congress. The Royal Government should be given credit for drafting laws to cover this serious crime. Previously, the law written by UN lawyers know as UNTAC only had Article 41, Battery with Injury, which provides one to five years in prison and that term is doubled if a weapon is used i.e. acid. The challenge is enforcement of the law once it's passed, although previous attacks can still be prosecuted under UNTAC Article 41.
Put acid attacker back on acid. Make them feel the taste of their own medicine. That would send a message to other uneducated khmer.
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