DPA
Phnom Penh - Cambodia's parliament on Thursday passed an anti-corruption law that the opposition has criticized as flawed and politically biased. Earlier on Thursday the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) quit the parliamentary debate. SRP legislator Son Chhay said that the party's suggested amendments had been repeatedly ignored, including one to ensure the assets of senior government figures were made public.
"This is a bad day for the country - we have waited so long for a mechanism to fight corruption," he said. "We have at least 45 per cent of the population living below the poverty line, and we have a handful of families who become billionaires while there are so many who are starving."
The law was voted through by members of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), which holds a two-thirds majority in parliament. No government spokesman was available for comment.
Cambodia is regarded as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, and donors and civil society have called since 1995 for a law to tackle graft.
The proposed text, as passed by parliament, states that politicians, military personnel, police, judges, civil servants and the heads of civil society organizations must disclose their wealth to the anti-corruption body, which is to keep that information private.
Yong Kim Eng from the Coalition for Integrity and Social Accountability, a civil society group against corruption, said one weakness in the law is that most members of the two anti-corruption agencies would be hand-picked by the ruling party or Prime Minister Hun Sen.
"I don't think this can be independent," he said.
The draft was made public on March 4, leaving just four days for opposition legislators and civil society groups to study its provisions before the vote on Thursday.
That brief time frame drew condemnation from civil society and the United Nations, which has been deeply involved in the process since 2004. The UN called unsuccessfully on Wednesday for the government to allow more time to ensure debate by all interested parties.
The UN refused further comment Thursday once parliament had passed the law, which now proceeds to the Senate for approval.
The international corruption watchdog Transparency International placed Cambodia in lowly 158th place last year, on a par with the Central African Republic and Laos. Just 19 nations were ranked as more corrupt.
The US ambassador to Phnom Penh outraged the government in 2009 when she cited a number of studies indicating that corruption costs the impoverished nation up to 500 million US dollars annually.
"This is a bad day for the country - we have waited so long for a mechanism to fight corruption," he said. "We have at least 45 per cent of the population living below the poverty line, and we have a handful of families who become billionaires while there are so many who are starving."
The law was voted through by members of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), which holds a two-thirds majority in parliament. No government spokesman was available for comment.
Cambodia is regarded as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, and donors and civil society have called since 1995 for a law to tackle graft.
The proposed text, as passed by parliament, states that politicians, military personnel, police, judges, civil servants and the heads of civil society organizations must disclose their wealth to the anti-corruption body, which is to keep that information private.
Yong Kim Eng from the Coalition for Integrity and Social Accountability, a civil society group against corruption, said one weakness in the law is that most members of the two anti-corruption agencies would be hand-picked by the ruling party or Prime Minister Hun Sen.
"I don't think this can be independent," he said.
The draft was made public on March 4, leaving just four days for opposition legislators and civil society groups to study its provisions before the vote on Thursday.
That brief time frame drew condemnation from civil society and the United Nations, which has been deeply involved in the process since 2004. The UN called unsuccessfully on Wednesday for the government to allow more time to ensure debate by all interested parties.
The UN refused further comment Thursday once parliament had passed the law, which now proceeds to the Senate for approval.
The international corruption watchdog Transparency International placed Cambodia in lowly 158th place last year, on a par with the Central African Republic and Laos. Just 19 nations were ranked as more corrupt.
The US ambassador to Phnom Penh outraged the government in 2009 when she cited a number of studies indicating that corruption costs the impoverished nation up to 500 million US dollars annually.
18 comments:
it is crucial to get anti-corrupt law passed into law. any proposition, future debate, etc about it will be opened to amendment of this law. so, it makes no sense to delay it further, really! there are so many ways to amend law, one is by majority votes, the other by submitting proposition, etc, etc... hey, the point is, there is still hope, really! don't delay this "long-awaited" anti-corruption law, ok. having this law is better than not having one at all, you know! god bless cambodia.
រដ្ឋសភាបានអនុម័តដោយសម្លេង ៨៤ លើ ៩៩ សម្លេង Passed it by Majority 84/99 votes, with or without oppositions.
That's the rule of 50+1 is all about! Congratulations Cambodia!
10:50PM,
This law is phony! Please try to see more then just a few inches in from of you.
My point of view about your comments above:
1. You have not read and/or fully understand the graft. This graft was tailored by the corrupted government to protect themself and their corrupted officials.
2. You are an uneducated individual. Passed this law meaning allowing the corrupted government continues to be corrupted legally. Also meaning more suffering to our people and nation.
10:50PM, Don't get overwhelm by the title "Ani-Corruption Law". Don't judge the book by its cover. Title sounds good does not mean the contexts is also as good.
Think wisely!
When I read the alter amendment from Sam Rainsy party is suck!! no need to be amended, just passed it and wait to write the whole law when your turn is up in 2099=)
God Bless Thevada Hun Sen, Thevada Chea Sim and Thevada Heng Samrin!
Cambodia is now protected by corruption law. Just wait for the Royal decree to inforce the law.
Hun Sen: Why you are not smart? Do you think we make law to limit our business? No. We, CPP will keep doing business as usual. This law is made to scan virus from NGO and opposition parties and their alliances. We, CPP have special software which can protect us from this law.
11:09PM, is stupid individual! Jeay-yo to ah kbot cheat?
11:09PM, has psychological problem like his idoles, kbot cheat hun xen, kbot cheat chea sim and kbot cheat heng samrin.
CHESS OF PRIVATE PARTY! Wrong move you OUT!
extreme view from srp and company is never healthy of cambodia. it not only slows down life and economical progress in cambodia, it is probably too strict and too harsh to attract much needed investors into cambodia. glad cambodia gov't is there to balance out opposition extreme, radical, and useless view! imagine if srp and company to run the country, they prabably gained a lot of enemies and people are probably too afraid to invest in cambodia and cambodia would be less competitive, less business savvy, less developed,and probably going backward further. srp and company don't think competitively and they don't have concept ot development and winning friends, as they attitude is everything. they think they are perfect and they live in la la land all the time. they are so backward and blinded by their extreme and radical view. so please vote them out and keep them as minority party only! for one, they can't even show khmer people that they can unite all khmer people, they exploit uneducated people with with extreme radical view which is very dangerous for cambodia and the world, really! they are wolf in sheep clothing, be careful and keep vote them out of office, please!
As far as we know, Hun Aen, Chea Sim, Heng Samrin and many other in the CPP Toppest Rankings are uneducated group. They don't know what the law is, So, who have prepared and/or wrote that law for them to passed?
I don't blame Hun Sen nor the hand raisers. they don't have capacity to write such law, but the people who written the law themselves must responsible for that law just passed by SVA raising hands.
Example: Heng Samrin, can't even read letter in Cambodian language and the pig seller and vietminh servant, so, as Chea Sim the farmer and vietminh intruder and Hun Sen lived and learn from pagoda Neakawoan and from Sihanouk's Maquis. There is no law degree apply to the pagoda Neakawoan and Sihanouk's Maquis study courses.
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 bomb on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and other military officials were on board.
Lightning strike many airplanes, but did not fall from the sky. Lightning strike out side of airplane and discharge electricity to ground.
Source: Lightning, Discovery Channel
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.
“Therefore, as a first step, we must consider these declarations to be made in secret, but we must make is such that these officials dare declare their personal wealth.
Wow, I can't believe he saying this?
What is the purpose of the law?
Is it transparent?
To all Khmers; it is very simple for the future of Cambodia,if you think that Hun Khvack's government is good for you vote for him.
" Anonymous said...
As far as we know, Hun Aen, Chea Sim, Heng Samrin and many other in the CPP Toppest Rankings are uneducated group. They don't know what the law is, So, who have prepared and/or wrote that law for them to passed?
I don't blame Hun Sen nor the hand raisers. they don't have capacity to write such law, but the people who written the law themselves must responsible for that law just passed by SVA raising hands.
Example: Heng Samrin, can't even read letter in Cambodian language and the pig seller and vietminh servant, so, as Chea Sim the farmer and vietminh intruder and Hun Sen lived and learn from pagoda Neakawoan and from Sihanouk's Maquis. There is no law degree apply to the pagoda Neakawoan and Sihanouk's Maquis study courses.
12:07 AM "
12:07AM! How stupid you are! They may have no education but they have more expperience to run the country!
No one person can write law for a country fool!
And go, have education of how country laws had wrotr?????
Let me interject of corruptions in America. Nancy Pelosy, however her name is spell. The Democrats are pushing to pass this health bill that has been in the making sometimes: She said, "Lets pass this bill so we can find out what is in it?" Pass the bill so we can find out what is in it? Sound pretty scary if you are an American citizens. And Mr. Obama said, "If the problem is too big to solve by state run health care we'll just send that patient home with a pain pill. If you think having the government in charge of health care is great - woe to you when you really needing the care, they may just send you home with a pain pill. In other word - there is not enough money in the government to take care of every sick individual only the special and privilege get the best of care, the rest are just state property to do whatever they wish.
My point is: The demons are everywhere and not just in Cambodia. Since a good portion of readers are from America - heads up - America is heading into a socialist country by the Obama Administration. He is fighting hard to pass this health care package so the state can control whether I should be healthy or not and not myself and my doctor.
A person like Touch SryNech is a candidate to be eliminated if the government is in control of health care. Why? 'cause she is a waste to the government. She is nothing but a state property and they will do her as they wish it does not matter what her brother/father and the rest of the Khmer people thinks. This the reality of a socialist government. Obama is a socialist and he is applying the rules for radicals in American politic. Rules for radicals were written by a a Communist ideologist. The author Rules for Radicals might been John Dewy or Saul Olinsky.
come on.... what the hell is that??? no independent, no transparency... the government has betrayed its citizens' trust... u've been enriching urselves and families on the expenses of our sweet and blood and now created a puppet graft law to protect ur interests....
you're cowards.........
hahahah so funny to me related to the voted to pass the ACL. 82 voted. 78from CC, 2NRP, 2FUN. Boycorts SRP, and HRP. Nhek Bunchhay just walks in to the NA around 11 and by hear nothing about discussion but he also voted hahahaha. This is fully understood that, this NA only rubber stamp, and the reulted already seted. Poor Cambodian.
3:24 AM comparing corruption in Cambodia with USA like you comparing USA democracy and kampuchea (khmer rouge) democratic
You have its form but not substances
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