Sam Rainsy warns of 'sham' vote
The Bangkok Post | AFP | 20 July 2013
PHNOM PENH - Cambodia's newly returned
opposition leader has denounced political intimidation and warned that
this month's election will be a "sham" unless he is allowed to stand as a
candidate.
Sam Rainsy greets his supporters during a rally in Kampong Speu province on Saturday. (EPA photo)
Sam Rainsy, who was greeted by huge crowds on Friday after his return
from self-imposed exile in France, is seen as the main challenger to
strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen.
But he has been removed from the electoral register and is unable to
run as a candidate in the July 28 polls unless parliament amends the
law.
In an interview with Radio Free Asia, Sam Rainsy warned that demonstrations might break out if he is not allowed to stand.
"If I can't participate, after the elections all the Cambodian people
will protest and the whole international community will condemn the
result and regard this as a sham election," he was quoted as saying.
"Then we will demand a real election to allow Cambodians to decide their true destiny," he added.
Sam Rainsy, a French-educated former banker, fled in 2009 to avoid charges he contends were politically motivated.
He was convicted in his absence of charges including inciting racial
discrimination and spreading disinformation and had faced 11 years in
jail but received a royal pardon earlier this month.
Aiming to finally unseat Hun Sen, he recently joined with former
rival and veteran activist-turned-politician Kem Sokha to form the
Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).
Although he is not a candidate, he has hit the campaign trail to
spearhead his party's efforts to end Hun Sen's nearly three decades in
power.
The United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia,
Surya Subedi, last week urged Cambodia to let Sam Rainsy play a "full
part" in politics.
Hun Sen is one of Southeast Asia's longest-serving leaders. His
Cambodian People's Party (CPP) won the last two polls by a landslide
amid allegations of fraud and election irregularities.
His government is regularly accused of suppressing political freedoms
and muzzling activists. In May Hun Sen said he would try to stay in
power for another decade.
The opposition also accused people in power of being behind an attack
by an unknown gunman who fired a bullet at the party's headquarters in
the early hours of Saturday.
Nobody was hurt in the incident at the offices of the CNRP in Phnom Penh which was closed at the time.
``I think this attack was orchestrated by people in power. This is a
politically motivated case,'' CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann told AFP.
``This is a cowardly act.... We're not scared by this attack at all,'' he said.
National police spokesman Kirt Chantharith confirmed the attack by
the unidentified gunman and said police had collected a bullet.
``We are investigating the case,'' he told AFP.
4 comments:
ប្រសិនបើលោក សមរាង្ស៊ី ពុំមានសិទ្ធិឈរឈ្មោះ
ពិតមែននោះ តើ អង្គការសហប្រជាជាតិ សហគមន៍
និង សហរដ្ឋអាមេរិក ទទួលស្គាល់លទ្ធផលនៃការបោះ
ឆ្នោតជាផ្លូវការ ដែរឬទេ? តាមយោបល់របស់យើងខ្ញុំ
ការបោះឆ្នោតអណត្តិទី៥ច្បាស់ជានឹងត្រូវលើកទៅ
ថ្ងៃក្រោយជាមិនខាន បើពុំដូច្នោះទេ ក្រុមអាយ៉ង
និងចៅហ្វាយត្រូវតែទទួលខុសត្រូវចំពោះការបោះ
ឆ្នោតជាចាំបាច់៕
យើងខ្ញុំ ចង់សួរទៅ លោក ហោ៥ហុង ថា តើ
លក្ខណៈណាមួយដែលបានបញ្ជាក់ ពីការផ្សះ
ផ្សារជាតិ ចំពោះការត្រឡប់វិលចូលប្រទេសវិញ
នៃលោក សមរាង្ស៊ី ដើម្បីមានសិទិ្ធឈរឈ្មោះ
បោះឆ្នោតដូចការព្រមានរបស់អាមេរិក និង
សហគមន៍អឺរុប និងអង្គការសហប្រជាជាតិ ក្នុង
អណត្តី៥នេះ ឬក៏ជាល្បិចសម្រាប់ល្បួងដល់
លោកសមរាង្ស៊ីឱ្យចូលពន្ធនាគាព្រៃស?
no worries everyone in srok khmer already prepare, we will do the same as Egyptian and other arab world. Hun Sen your time is up! no matter what.
I request to the Viets, chinese and all international community with good moral judgement to help us khmer make it possible for this change, because it is right and just and also, if the good do nothing the evil will win, that is all.
Since, 'the righteous will live forever and the wicked will be doomed', please at least try to save your soul, Amen
all ki and rainsy follower they never feel or appreciate and gratitud to wards what so call a good did. Oranoton or a Baboon attack each other very cruel at all times its a '^ endlese^ fight to any one who are difer from them and no matter who honest and genuin lifesavers they are. wasnt it true ?. and remember this typ of animal are 99.99 % exactly like humen and for them they will never bonn together u know they finaly they attack their own clanc or camrade . now ki team you can clearly see yourself as a khmerough polpot dirty phsyco or mind set load up full in your brian. wasnt that bad ?right?. pi anh sith phila we love our nation we fear that one day our nation could be ruled by premitive terorist like most your guy preaching hatred criticiz saparet and dirty political gam to ruin us khmer. wasnt it true ?. and i think noun chea is thai. he gratuat from thailand university the khmer genocid it was a mento from the thai to finish khmere. ki and you guy must watch out do not fool by your oun enemy
Post a Comment