Appeal to Stop
State Act of Violence against Women
(Translated version)
"Violence against women constitutes a violation of basic human rights and is an obstacle to the achievement of the objectives of equality, development and peace", Fourth World Conference on Women- Platform for Action
As elected representatives of the people, we recognize the vital participation and contribution made by women in all sectors, in particular the garment industry, agriculture and micro-business.
As elected representatives of the people, we are gravely alarmed by and condemn the excessive use of force by the military police, local police and hired security guards to crack down on female factory workers who demand better working conditions and fair wages(1).
As elected representatives of the people, we have intervened on behalf of women farmers and hundreds and thousands of families who are brutally forced out of their land and their homes(2). These evictions are often carried out violently by police, military police or private armed forces, despite prohibitions under the Land Law(3).
These systematic acts of violence against women are widespread and committed by the state against its own people. Serious injuries including miscarriages have occurred without proper compensation, medical treatment, investigation or prosecution(4).
As elected representatives of the people, we have the right and the duty to remind the Government of Cambodia of its obligations stipulated in the Constitution, the national laws and the UN instruments which Cambodia is signatory to.
Articles 2, 3 and 4 of the Declaration on the UN Elimination of Violence against Women defines physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the State, wherever it occurs, as an act of violence against women.
We urgently appeal to all citizens, members of the civil society, trade unions and the international community to join us in calling on the Government of Cambodia to take the immediate following measures:
1/ Stop the excessive deployment of security forces, the use of electric batons and deadly weapons on demonstrators, most specifically where women and children have gathered;
2/ Stop the use of armed forces and hired security guards in forced evictions;
3/ Strictly implement the Penal code in cases of abuse and violation committed by the armed forces, military police, police and security guards against demonstrators and/or during evictions and land grabs;
4/ Drop all charges against women who have been wrongly accused in cases of land grabs, forced evictions and workers' strikes;
5/ Release all women detained on false accusations related to land disputes.
Fair wages, safe working conditions, decent housing and land tenure are women's rights. Women should not be exposed to violence, shame or mistreatment by the Government in their enjoyment of these rights.
Preventing violence against women is essential to provide women and their families the fundamental guarantees of a life free from fear and abuse.
Signed by Members of Parliament
Sam Rainsy Party
April 04, 2011
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(1) Land and Housing Rights in Cambodia. Parallel Report 2009; Land and Housing Working Group, Cambodia, April 2009
(2) Bitter sweet- A Briefing Paper on Indistrial Sugar Production, Trade and Human Rights in Cambodia- David Pred, September, 2010
(3) Losing Ground-Forced Evictions in Cambodia. The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC) September 2009
(4) Justice for the Poor? An Exploratory Study of Collective Grievances over Land and Local Governance in Cambodia. Center for Advanced Study-world Bank, Phnom Penh-October 2006
3 comments:
KAMPUCHEA KROM AT A GLANCE
Kampuchea Krom is composed of 68,965 square kilometers, 21 provinces and municipalities, two large islands - Koh Tral and Koh Tralach, 171 districts, 1,368 communes, 14,778 villages, more than 13 million Khmers, more than 567 Buddhist pagodas and more than 20,000 Theravada Buddhist monks.
99% of populations are Theravada Buddhists.
The Khmer kings, governments, regimes and citizens have never relinquish (give up) this part of their country to foreigners.
Kampuchea Krom has been under an ongoing colonial control since her division from motherland, Cambodia.
June 4, 1949 is the date that the Khmer Kampuchea Krom citizens grieve. The Khmer Kampuchea Krom people have organized Buddhist Service annually to honor the fallen Khmer Buddhist monks and heroes, who sacrificed their lives for Kampuchea Krom and Theravada Buddhism.
Colonial France divided, ceded and transferred Kampuchea Krom to colonial Vietnam on this date. The freedom of Khmer Kampuchea Krom has been mostly stripped by the Vietnamese ruling regimes and governments since. The French colonial administration committed injustice upon the more than 13 million Khmers of this beautiful fertile land.
Justice remains elusive for Cambodia, Kampuchea Krom and her citizens.
And...The struggle to regain freedom and human rights by the Khmers in Kampuchea Krom continues as long as injustice commits by the ruling Vietnamese regime(s) has not produced a fruitful result.
Koh Tral (Tral Island)
in Vietnamese - Phu Quoc island
circa 1939 Vietnamese encroached and conquered
Koh Tral Island has an area of 567 square kilometers; about 62 kilometers long and between 3 kilometers and 28 kilometers wide. The island physically is located closest to Cambodia's Kep seaside city. Visitors can see Koh Tral Island from the coastline of Kep. It is about a 30-minute motorized boat ride.
By Smart Khmer Girl, Ms. Rattana Keo
Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten
By Ms. Rattana Keo
Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 10,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 10,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 10,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?
The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer everyday.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 10,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?
Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
I don't know who you are Ms. Rattana Keo but I really appreciate your patriotism to Khmers. In Cambodia under Hun Sen regime, Khmer kids don't know anything about Koh Tral and Real Khmer History because CPP fully cooperates with Viet to brain washes Khmer kids after 1979 until present’s day.
The teachers at Cambodia can’t tell Khmer kids the true about their true history because they are being blackmail by the Hun Sen government. (“You want to be missing” that is the phrase CPP Viet spies’ tactic using every day at Cambodia school)
I would like Ki media educate Khmer people more about their own true history because majority of Khmer kids educated from 1979 till present day are big missing link to Cambodia real history.
We Khmers around the world must not accept the way CPP government brain wash Khmer kids today.
Maxx Blonde Low Carb,
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