DPA
Phnom Penh - A leading Cambodian rights group warned Friday that a controversial draft law would mark the demise of civil society should it be approved in its current form.
The draft Law on Associations and Non-Government Organizations, which is designed to regulate civil society, has been extensively criticized by NGOs and donors as unduly restrictive.
This draft - the third so far - was sent to the Council of Ministers on July 29. Government spokesman Phay Siphan said the body would start reviewing it next week.
Naly Pilorge, director of rights group LICADHO, said the main problem was that registration was compulsory for almost all associations and non-governmental organizations, which would have to provide financial and personal details beyond the capacity of many small groups.
Pilorge said that would damage informal networks and associations 'particularly those advocating on issues that affect the country such as land grabbing, labour and wage issues.'
'I strongly believe those groups are the first target,' Pilorge said, adding that the law in its current form would spell 'the end of an independent, growing civil society.'
Pilorge's comments followed statements released late Thursday by LICADHO and the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), in which they said the draft was flawed and unnecessary.
CCHR said it was concerned that the law's purpose was 'to stifle popular movements and grassroots politics,' which it described as 'the backbone of civil society.'
'They should therefore be protected by legislation, rather than subjected to 'death by bureaucracy,' which could be the lasting legacy of the law,' CCHR said.
It warned that time was running out to effect amendments, and said the government was 'showing a resolute determination to bring civil society - one of the last independent voices in Cambodia - under its control.'
Government spokesman Phay Siphan said civil society could still funnel its concerns to the ministries of interior and foreign affairs, which drafted the law, despite earlier comments by one ministry spokesman that the door was closed.
'They still have an opportunity to challenge that law,' Phay Siphan said, adding that it was only entering the discussion phase at the Council of Ministers. 'Be patient and see what's going on.'
On Friday, the US Embassy again urged Phnom Penh to consider the views of donors and civil society when drafting the law and to 'refrain from passing any new law that restricts, rather than enhances, the important role of civil society.'
11 comments:
COMUNIST MIND ALWAY TRY TO DESTROY FREE DEMONCRACY SOCIETY!!!!!
DO NOT LET THE COMMUNIST AND DICKHEAD DESTROY JUSTICE! UN!
The Puppet government,
Whatever the civil society tries to do is to save Cambodia.
Look what you have done:
- Defy the 1991 Paris peace accord.
- Implement the treaties signed between you and your boss.
_ Allow your Master to destroy all Khmer natural resource,
- Millions of Yiekcong came freely into Cambodia and have the right to vote for you. They will replace you ( Ah Kwack ) with their own person in the near future.
- Whatever measures you tries to do were emanating from your master, and most of them to facilitate the integration of Cambodia into Indochina.
- Other.....
It is just my thought here:
First, Yiekmam combine those 3 cuntries ( Cambodia, Laos, and Ah Chor Yuon ) into Indochina, and called it Indochina.
50 years or 100 yeras later, they will change the name again from Indochina to Vietnam.
Who would be able to protest it? Because Cambodian people are so few compared to Yiekcong.
Then, Cambodia will disappear for good....
MR. PHAY SIPHAN!
ANYBODY WITH A LITTLE GRAY MATTER
IN HIS HEAD KNOWS THAT THE COUNCIL
OF MINISTER WILL NOT SUBSTANTIALLY
MODIFY THE DRAFT AND ALL MPs FROM
THE CAMBODIAN COMMUNIST PARTY (CPP)
HAVE THEIR HANDS ALREADY UP WAITING
TO APPROVE THE DRAFT. AFTER THAT THE SO CALLED SENATE WILL FOLLOW SUIT. THE KING WILL SIGN IT INTO LAW, END OF THE STORY, GOOD BYE HUMAN RIGHT, GOOD BYE CIVIL RIGHT,
GOOD BYE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION,
VIVA COMMUNIST REGIME, STRONGMAN WITH VIET BOOTS ON HIS THROAT RULES OVER KHMERS ONLY. THE GENOCIDE CONTINUES, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE THIS TIME THE KHMER PEOPLE WILL BE KILLED SMOOTHLY WITH
NO FANFARE LIKE IN THE 70s.
MR. PHAY SIPHAN! CAN YOU COME UP WITH A BETTER COMMENT? YOU STINK.
SI ENG KRUY
don't be afraid of responsibility for your own action, ok! do observe ethical code of conduct, ok! don't abuse freedom by exploiting freedom, do know your boundary, ok! even cambodia have rule of law, too, you know!
Hun Sen can ask organization to abey his rule but he never play by his own rule when comes to his own and CPP financial matter. Is this fair?
There are many donating-country employees employing in Cambodia. If the international community or the donors do not live up their obligations (give what they can), their employees in Cambodia will be lined up for the unemployment, and Mr. Obama will not too happy with the news. The choice is clear: you donate, or pack your stuff and leave the kingdom.
2:34
Fu...the shit up OK! OK!
Oh Shit Ah Khnom Ker! OK!
12:20, are you saying only CPP can have OTHER women?
12:20, are you saying only CPP can have OTHER women?
12:20PM
Can you stop putting that kind of shit in KI.
How low can you stand?
I don't think you are Khmer.
We don't have time to read that kind of shit.
12:20PM
If you don't want to see, just close your shit eyes and let other people read it. It is really interesting news.
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