Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Rainsy stripped of MP status

Sam Rainsy speaking to journalist during the press conference at SRP head office in 2009. (Photo by: Sovan Philong)
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post
“What gives them a headache, what makes them worried? It is only Sam Rainsy.”
Embattled opposition leader Sam Rainsy’s position in the National Assembly has been terminated following a string of losses in his long-running legal saga.

In a proclamation dated Tuesday, National Assembly President Heng Samrin said Sam Rainsy’s criminal convictions had rendered him ineligible to serve as a lawmaker based on the Kingdom’s Law on the Status of Parliamentarians.

“His Excellency Sam Rainsy has completely lost his rights, prerogatives and membership as a parliamentarian of Kampong Cham provincial constituency in the fourth legislative mandate,” the proclamation states.

“This proclamation has judicial power from the day of signature onward.”


Sam Rainsy, president of the eponymous party, has lived in exile since 2009 to avoid prosecution in connection with a protest he staged in October that year in Svay Rieng province against alleged Vietnamese land encroachment.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court upheld his convictions for incitement and destruction of public property, for which he has been sentenced to two years in prison.

He was sentenced to an additional 10 years in prison in September for disinformation and falsifying public documents in connection with evidence he publicised from abroad to vindicate his border claims.

Speaking by phone from France, Sam Rainsy said he was untroubled by the proclamation and was confident he had the support of legal experts and the international community.

“This shows that power in Cambodia is becoming more and more absolute and more and more illegal,” he said.

Despite this grim assessment, however, the opposition leader said he would continue to lead the SRP and predicted that he would be able to return to the Kingdom for the upcoming national elections in 2012 and 2013 via a compromise with the ruling Cambodian People’s Party.

“We are not panicking,” he said, adding that the continued attempts to silence him “show the weakness of the CPP”.

“They are afraid of Sam Rainsy,” he said.

“What gives them a headache, what makes them worried? It is only Sam Rainsy.”

In a statement issued today, Cambodian Centre for Human Rights president Ou Virak said Sam Rainsy’s case “shows how the judiciary and legislature serve the political objectives of the executive”.

“The National Assembly lifted Sam Rainsy’s parliamentary immunity in apparent disregard for the constitutional guarantee that immunity will not be removed for opinions expressed in the exercise of one’s duties as a parliamentarian,” Ou Virak said.

“The judiciary showed an equal disregard for his fair trial rights and convicted him on highly politicised charges without sufficient evidence.”

In a speech earlier this year, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced his intention to “make the opposition group die”.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Opposition party will not die, only the CPP the illegal ruling party will die.

They are scared of the opposing team.
they are scared of the word legal.
they are scared of everything....they (cpp) committed crimes and killing innocent people.

we are the winners!
Jay yo....sam rainsy party!

Anonymous said...

Honorable Sam Rainsy, You are a Khmer HERO! Khmer love you and support you!
All Khmer (khmer krom, Khmer Kandal and Khmer leu) in abroad must wake up! Imagine 20000 Khmers in front of the united Nation in New York with Flyers telling the world about Hun Sen's Regime. Khmer leader must fix a date for a giant protest in front of the United Nation. All Khmer must contribute their power as a people to make it possible, even you need to travel across the globe. This is a real people’s power. Imagine that type of protest with a big number of people, New York Street will become blocked because of a big number of the people. United States and all government in world will start to open their eyes. Then the peace accord on October 23rd, 1991, will automatically speak. We know that Khmer inside the country are traumatized with the atrocity of Hun Sen’s Regime. For myself, I am ready to buy my plane ticket because we must fulfill our task as Khmer citizen (Kaon Khmer). We must understand that our country become as today under Youn control because we aren’t united. When we are united, the people power will be created. Don’t waste our Khmer life inside Cambodia because Youn do not afraid to kill us. All Khmer leader in abroad must be united first,Dr. Venrable Hok Sovann, Honorable Sam Rainsy, Dr. Tith Naranh Kiri, Mr. Soun Serey ratha, Mr. Tach Gnoc Tach Mr. Sean Peng Se, Khmer Mchas Srok and many more. We have no time to lose.

Aung San Suu Kyi said: “MY VERY TOP PRIORITY IS FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THINGS THEMSELVES"

Corazon Aquino said: “I don't have any formula for ousting a dictator or building democracy. All I can suggest is to forget about yourself and just think of your people. It's always the people who make things happen.”

Koh Tral

Anonymous said...

Please, don't lie to Cambodian !!!

No body scare SRP party !!!

I am not on either side of SRP or CPP.

Just look all the facts here:

SRP party keeps lossing the seat every elction. They are going down hill !!!!
Maybe, this is the good thing ever happened to the party.

I meant it is time to elect a new leader.
It is time to cut the lost and move on.
I have to assume that there are many more leaders in the party who can lead the party.
No body want to keep betting on the lossing horse here.
Either Sam Rainsy faults or not, let move on.
It is time to make way for the new generation.
Why don't SRP try to get support from bussiness community in Cambodia and Khmere in Cambodia ?? instead of try to get support from the foreigners !!!!!
From the foreigners point of view, if you have nothing to offer in return, you will not get any financial support.

Anonymous said...

Is this guy talking about our lovely ex-king's son.

Anonymous said...

បងប្អូនរួមជាតិជាទីស្នេហា
អាស្វា៣ ៤ក្បាលខាងលើនេះវាកំពង់បង្ខំ
ធ្វើឲ្យផែនការយួនបានសំរេចមុនវាដាច់ខ្យល់
ស្លាប់។សូមអ្នកឈប់ជេរវា ឈប់ពន្យល់វា
ទៀតទៅ ព្រោះវាជាមនុស្សទុកក៏មិនចំណេញ
ដកជេញក៏មិនខាត។ទោះបីលោករង្សីបានចូល
ទៅស្រុកវឹញដោយប្រការណាមួយ លោករង្សី
ត្រូវទទួលវាសនាដូចអ្នកស្រីអ៊ុងសានឫលោករង្សី
អាចត្រូវពួកវាលបធ្វើឃាដ។
ក្នុងកាលទេសបែបនេះលោករង្សីគួរតែនៅក្រៅ
ស្រុកមួយរយះសឹន​ប៉ន្តែលោកត្រូវសំរួលដោយ
សុទ្ធចឹត្តក្នុងការបង្រួបបង្រួមអ្នកប្រជាធិប្បតេយ្យ
ឲ្យខាងតែបាន។លោកធ្វើការឃោសនានៅខាងក្រៅរកការគាំទ្រពីអន្តរជាតិផ្នែកនយោបាយ
នឹងថវិការ។លោកកឹមសុខាដែលមានទេព
កោសលខ្ពស់ក្នុងការទំនាក់ទំនងជាមួយប្រជា
រាស្រ្ត​អាចធ្វើការនៅខាងក្នុង។
ខ្ញុំសូមជំរាបលោកថាទឹកកាន់តែថ្លា ប្រជារាស្រ្តខ្មែរអាចមើលឃើញបាតដីហើយ។
គឺមានតែប្រជារាស្រ្តខ្មែរតែមួយគត់ដែលអាច
វិនិច្ឆ៏យថា​លោកហ៊ុនសែននឹងលោករង្សី ណាមួយជាជនក្បត់ជាតិ?។ប៉ន្តែខ្ញុំសូមផ្តាំមួយម៉ាត់ចុងក្រោយថាសូម
លោកឈប់លេងល្បិចជាន់ជើងគ្នាឯងត
ទៅទៀត។ទីបំផុតគឺមានតែលោកកឹមសុខាទេ
ដែលអាចស្រោចស្រង់ជីវឹតនយោបាយលោក
ត្រឡប់មកវឹញបាន។

Anonymous said...

It is grand time for SRP supporters to stop making useless rhetoric and start working on real, practical action plan.

What Hun Sen and cohorts are doing is a real test for the opposition. Can the opposition mobilize, organize and mount specific measures to challenge Hun Sen/Heng Samrin ..etc ? If the opposition can prove that they have a workable plan to challenge Hun Sen, people will join them to fight Hun Sen.

It is up to Mr. Rainsy and his group now to prove that he can lead the fight… The widespread rebellions in the Arab world have created favorable conditions for Mr. Rainsy to act. Does Mr. Rainsy have the will to do it? People are watching!

Anonymous said...

យើងត្រូវតែនាំគ្នានិយាយ, សរសេរ, ផ្សាយ, ប្រកាស,
ឃោសនា, ណែនាំ, អប់រំ តៗគ្នាពីអំពើក្បត់ជាតិនឹងអំពើ
អាក្រក់របស់មេដឹកនាំកម្ពុជា ទាំងយប់ ទាំងថ្ងៃ មានដូចជា ៖
ពួកអាឆ្កែកញ្ជះយួន ហ៊ុន សែន, ហេងសំ រិន, ជាស៊ីម,
សុខ អាន, ហោ ណាំហុង, ឱម យ៉ិនទៀង, ចៀម យីប,
វ៉ា គិម ហុង, ស ខេង, ងួន ញ៉ឹល ។ល។ និង ។ល។
និយាយហើយ និយាយទៀត, សរសេរហើយ សរសេរទៀត, ផ្សាយហើយ ផ្សាយទៀត , ប្រកាសហើយ ប្រកាសទៀត ,
ឃោសនាហើយ ឃោសនាទៀត , ណែនាំហើយ ណែនាំទៀត , អប់រំហើយ អប់រំទៀត រហូតដល់ ជាតិ និងអន្តរជាតិ ដឹងឮ ទូទាំងពិភពលោក។
អោយពួកវាស្អុយឈ្មោះ ស្អុយត្រកូលរាប់ម៉ឺនសែន ឆ្នាំ...!

Anonymous said...

MR. SAM RAINSY IS OUT OF SIGHT AND OUT OF MIND...
SO THE TRAITORS WILL ADVANCED THEIR PLANS FASTER INTO INDOCHINA FEDERARION BY 2015.

Anonymous said...

stop being egotistical sam rainsy! there are more to cambodia than just you alone, ok! play with the law and you will get in trouble, really! keep running and hiding overseas, cambodia don't need you, i don't think, really! your crying wolf day is long done! if you don't know when and how to stop, i suggest you go back to school to get a better education, ok!

Anonymous said...

5:29 AM,

Where do you live? I hope not in the US or any western democratic countries!

Do you really think that what happens to Sam Rainsy is fair?

Do you think America or the country in which you live would handle Sam Rainsy's case the way the Cambodian government and courts have done?

What kind of law are you talking about? Jungle laws? In Cambodia, Mr. Hun Sen is the law and I know you know that. Be honest and don't tell me you don't.

I am pretty sure you are building up some credits indirectly with the Hun Sen's government with a hope that you will get a position with it one day.

By the way, how much education do you have to be so bold as to suggest that a person should go back to school?

Isn't Cambodia supposed to be a democratic and free country?

Who, on earth, do you think you are to tell him to stop doing whatever he is doing?

There were people who voted for him in Cambodia and they obviously do not ask him to stop, but they encourage to continue to do whatever he is doing on their behalf.

I hope you live in a communist country and if you are not; I feel sorry for your host country for the kind of opinion you are holding toward freedom and justice.

I am pretty sure you live in America!

I live in Cambodia, but I am more liberal than you!

Anonymous said...

if srp wants to make it, they need a new leader. rainsey is weak. be honest and correct the problem, it is not too late

Anonymous said...

SRP will be absorbed by HRP and merge into CPP in 2013.

Anonymous said...

គណៈបក្សប្រជាជនរបស់អា ហ៊ុន សែន ទុកគណៈបក្ស សម រង្ស៊ី ជាបន្លាក្នុងកែវភ្នែកវា ដែលពួកវាកំពុងរកឱកាសដើម្បីកម្ទេច គណៈបក្ស សម រង្ស៊ី ចោល ហើយដំឡើង គណៈបក្ស សិទ្ធិមនុស្សរបស់ កឹម សុខា ធ្វើជាដៃគូនយោបាយប្រឆាំងតិចៗស្រាលៗវិញ នេះយុទ្ធសាស្ដ្រដែលយួនវាបានរៀបចំទុកឲ្យ អាយ៉ងវាអនុវត្តកម្មវិធីនយោបាយជារាងរហូតមក…

Anonymous said...

Wow! wait I'm goin to be polite as i can be. WTF do you fck people know about loving your country. do you see anyone beside Mr.Sam Rainsy that can stand up to cpp right now. the best you can do is helping him fight for your fck country so that someday you have a place to call Cambodia you fck Idiots. before you start criticize him ask you fckself what have you done anythings for your country? have you ever went to cambodia and see how people living theirs lives earning less than a fcking 1$aday and you proud of this fcking cpp. if you are khmer do something for once for your motherland at least before you die since you are born as khmer. we once used to be an empire conquer part of the SE Asia now look at us. we fck losing land each day due to people like you. this is my mark...

Anonymous said...

6:22am I applaud for you comments, well done. Cambodia need more poeple like you inside Cambodia. Keep up the good work and gather more support inside Cambodia to fight the injustice and freedom for our own people.

Anonymous said...

We khmer should have the solidarity to revolt again the Hun Sen regime installed by Yourn Hanoi. Hun Sen in collaboration with Cambodian supreme court judges, received order from Hanoi to remove Cambodian patriot in congress such as Sam Rainsy, who is the only opposition party leader dare to criticize Vietnam for border encroachment. By removing Sam Rainsy from the Parliament, Hun Sen and CPP can control Cambodian congress without oppositions. I am supporting Sam Rainsy, because he is a patriot and he dare to tell the true about the danger of annexation of our border land and maritime territory by Colonialist Vietnam. Now Yourn become the Boss of our country and we khmer become second class citizens of our country. This is not acceptable.