Kong Sam Onn, Mu Sochua's former lawyer (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
23 March 2010
Two international organizations on Tuesday called for the full protection of rights defenders and lawyers, who are often targeted with violence and lawsuits for their work protecting people from land theft.
Lawyers Rights Watch Canada and the Asian Legal Resource Center said in a joint statement the government should “ensure full protection to human rights defenders and lawyers working on land rights issues so that they may carry out their duties without improper interference.”
“We call upon the government of Cambodia to implement recommendations to carry out legal and judicial reforms to address the ongoing problem of impunity by guaranteeing the independence and impartiality of judges, prosecutors and court personnel in keeping with international standards,” the groups said.
Phay Siphan, a spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said the groups were not addressing “the current work of the government,” which has already undertaken “legal modernization.”
The government has also undertaken disciplinary measures against judges, prosecutors and court personnel who break the law, he said.
“They should have written a more qualified report to avoid the mistake of attacking the Cambodian government,” he said.
Rights groups in Cambodia say they are consistently under attack.
In 2009, Adhoc recorded 235 complaints against human rights defenders in courts, leading to 147 arrests, 89 releases on bail and 58 detentions. Adhoc also reported dozens of beatings of rights workers by police, with few of the cases acted on by the judicial system.
In June 2009, an opposition lawyer, Kong Sam On, resigned and joined the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, after the lawyer for Prime Minister Hun Sen filed a complaint with the national bar association.
Kong Sam On was supposed to defend Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Mu Sochua in a defamation lawsuit brought by prime minister.
Lawyers Rights Watch Canada and the Asian Legal Resource Center said in a joint statement the government should “ensure full protection to human rights defenders and lawyers working on land rights issues so that they may carry out their duties without improper interference.”
“We call upon the government of Cambodia to implement recommendations to carry out legal and judicial reforms to address the ongoing problem of impunity by guaranteeing the independence and impartiality of judges, prosecutors and court personnel in keeping with international standards,” the groups said.
Phay Siphan, a spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said the groups were not addressing “the current work of the government,” which has already undertaken “legal modernization.”
The government has also undertaken disciplinary measures against judges, prosecutors and court personnel who break the law, he said.
“They should have written a more qualified report to avoid the mistake of attacking the Cambodian government,” he said.
Rights groups in Cambodia say they are consistently under attack.
In 2009, Adhoc recorded 235 complaints against human rights defenders in courts, leading to 147 arrests, 89 releases on bail and 58 detentions. Adhoc also reported dozens of beatings of rights workers by police, with few of the cases acted on by the judicial system.
In June 2009, an opposition lawyer, Kong Sam On, resigned and joined the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, after the lawyer for Prime Minister Hun Sen filed a complaint with the national bar association.
Kong Sam On was supposed to defend Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Mu Sochua in a defamation lawsuit brought by prime minister.
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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.
CONFIDENTIAL PROFILE PROHIBITED!
In all developped countries, lawyers are very well protected. They won't be allowed bullied by any person at all. Their profession will only be watched by law society. If they have misconducted their profession, law society can strike out their pratice certificate by a panel of law society members.
Areak Prey
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