Original report from Phnom Penh
11 March 2010
Sixteen lawmakers of the opposition walked out of session Thursday, as the National Assembly passed an anti-corruption law that critics warn will not do the job of tackling graft.
The law passed with a vote of 82 ruling party lawmakers, as members of both the Sam Rainsy and Human Rights parties refused to vote.
Sam Rainsy Party members tried to debate the law, which they see as inadequate, on Wednesday, but three Human Rights Party lawmakers boycotted the entire special session.
Members of the Cambodian People’s Party touted the law and its importance to the country, while critics warned it will not effectively fight the corruption donor countries have railed against for years.
“We are very happy for the passage [of the law] and thank the National Assembly,” Cabinet Minister Sok An said after the vote. “This is the product of a long process. It is a new law, a special law, a sensitive law and a very important law for our whole nation.”
Sok An called the law “a new tool to strengthen the existing anti-corruption unit.”
“When this law comes into force, the anti-corruption unit will become a sharper, more effective tool to fight against corruption,” he said.
Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the Sam Rainsy Party, told reporters as he left the Assembly Thursday morning, “We are very disappointed that the National Assembly did not amend some articles as requested by the opposition.”
“We don’t believe this law can be implemented effectively against corruption,” he said. “This law is just to cover up wrongful acts by a corrupt government. And I understand that the anti-corruption law will become a law to protect corruption.”
Lawmakers made no change to the bill as drafted by the Council of Ministers, despite calls from opposition and rights group to create a more independent Anti-Corruption Council and government anti-corruption unit.
Thun Saray, president of the rights group Adhoc, said he regretted the Assembly had not heeded any recommendations from rights groups.
“But we have no power to push the National Assembly,” he said.
If the new law proves incapable of curbing graft and corruption, he said, “the government and the National Assembly will be responsible to the whole nation.”
The law passed with a vote of 82 ruling party lawmakers, as members of both the Sam Rainsy and Human Rights parties refused to vote.
Sam Rainsy Party members tried to debate the law, which they see as inadequate, on Wednesday, but three Human Rights Party lawmakers boycotted the entire special session.
Members of the Cambodian People’s Party touted the law and its importance to the country, while critics warned it will not effectively fight the corruption donor countries have railed against for years.
“We are very happy for the passage [of the law] and thank the National Assembly,” Cabinet Minister Sok An said after the vote. “This is the product of a long process. It is a new law, a special law, a sensitive law and a very important law for our whole nation.”
Sok An called the law “a new tool to strengthen the existing anti-corruption unit.”
“When this law comes into force, the anti-corruption unit will become a sharper, more effective tool to fight against corruption,” he said.
Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the Sam Rainsy Party, told reporters as he left the Assembly Thursday morning, “We are very disappointed that the National Assembly did not amend some articles as requested by the opposition.”
“We don’t believe this law can be implemented effectively against corruption,” he said. “This law is just to cover up wrongful acts by a corrupt government. And I understand that the anti-corruption law will become a law to protect corruption.”
Lawmakers made no change to the bill as drafted by the Council of Ministers, despite calls from opposition and rights group to create a more independent Anti-Corruption Council and government anti-corruption unit.
Thun Saray, president of the rights group Adhoc, said he regretted the Assembly had not heeded any recommendations from rights groups.
“But we have no power to push the National Assembly,” he said.
If the new law proves incapable of curbing graft and corruption, he said, “the government and the National Assembly will be responsible to the whole nation.”
22 comments:
Everything is under Ah Hun Khvack's order,and Ah Hun Khvack is under Ah Youns' order. It is as simple as that. It takes almost 20 years to have this stupid laws to take effect, it is all bullshits. Khmers will be suffering forever.
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
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!
Cheyo Thevada Maha Decho Hun Sen varman dor Mohemea klaing lers sdach Sihanouk 2000 dorng!
Thanks god, atleast we have the law pass...!
This law is legit, people! Like it or not, it's finally passed! Agree or disagree, there's nothing you can do about it.
so sad for cambodians has been run by Gangs such as hun sen, cheam yeap, va kim hong all of you can hear their voices through radio.
so sad for cambodians has been run by Gangs such as hun sen, cheam yeap, va kim hong all of you can hear their voices through radio.
It's a USELESS law. In order to make it work bring some of CPP official to jail because they corrupted more than 15 years and destroy almost the whole country. Hun Sen's family too the most corruption in the history. SHAME! SHAME! Communist People Party (CPP)
why we surprised? opposition had been doing this more than we can count.
Yeah, totally agree!
What can we do as a normal citizen?
You and I know how corrupted these people are, yet the law is still on their side. What a hell wrong with our country? The way I see, we're screwed, people! Big Time!!!
The rich gets richer, and poor gets poooooer! The rich and powerful will continue to suck money from the poor and still the law will always back them up. Where's the justice?
Discouraged, frustrated!
Buddha said: do good get good, do bad get bad.
CPP said:
Do good get nothing and do bad get rich and powerfull!!
Don't be stupid,
that's just a joke,
laws are made only to be used against regular people, CPP members are higher than laws, that is dictatorship.
Good news that Anti-corruption Law is passed. No more complain of "Why is takes so long?". Oops, now there is complain "Why is too fast?". Camplain from A Walk to Walk Bruh Hah Hah Club.
If anyone here live in Los Angeles, you're probably heard that your board of supervisers who get paid over 100k a year have and extra 3.4 million allocation for each to spend. How is this sound to you. That's right 3.4 million each a year of your tax money. How many of them on the seats? Is it Six. Go figure $20.4 million a year. They can spend as they wish. They spend on their chauffuers, web page, face book, tweeter,to buy a place in who's who, car, ect. In addition to their discretionary office aaccounts, supervisors have tapped millions more for what the county calls capital improvements. The allocation account alone would be total to 27 million enough to pay 216 social workers yearly salary.
How is this for a democracy country compare to corrupt country? Same but different, isn't it.
How about Health Care reform? Democrat party push to reform health care without Republican parter. It does not need public opinion. How is it compare to a democracy country compare to corrupt country? Same but different, isn't it?
Only different is nothing. Who has nothing you and I. You work until you 65 or 70, you think to retire then your social security is gone. Do you know where it's gone to? How many of Cambodian in US collecting SSI not to mention the other races? Oops, you and I though done working. Yes, right may be until you died.
How can the law will be useful for the nation if it is drafted by the corrupt people.
This law will make corruption official and protected.
iTheCommentator!
Don't expect the thieves make the law to catch the thieves, but to steal more.
Hun Sen said you wait until the opposition get a majority in the next election so you can change this law.This is my law and I have to protect my clan. Get out of my way and shut up.This country is my.The cambodian people have to understand this advice from HS.
First of all, there has been a corruption law in UNTAC Criminal Law since the formation of the Royal Government but I never heard of one person prosecuted under that law.
This law is a vast step forward because it requires disclosure of assets. One problem is that no one puts anything in their own name, and certainly wealthy people have put their money in foreign banks. Cambodia is not alone in having corruption- all countries have it and certainly its very prevalent in neighboring VN. Money and Power make the world go around.
Please help uploading the draft law, if anyone has it. Thank you very much
that is normal, no one makes law to prosecute themselves.
congratulation!!!!!!!!
well done, parliamentarians, citizens' representatives for passing a puppet law to partially deter corruptions....
u kno wat no wise man would dig his own graveyard, likewise our lawmakers. They are so smart to exploit the weakness of this so-called anti-graft law....
we live in this unjust society, what else can we expect from these so-called masters of the nation.
what's the point of declaring ur assets when it's not disclosed to the public... be realistic, men... this is third world...
no hope....
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.
oh shut up already. first you complain that it took too long to pass into law, now, how ironic, you opposition complain that it passed too quickly. my god, talk about attitude problem, here! your fault for walking away. why you chose to walk away during debate? life's unfair. get used to it, really!
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