Rights Abuse Critic Threatened With Gun

Heang Rithy, President of CNRO (Photo: CNRO)

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
29 September 2008

Heang Rithy, president of the Cambodian National Research Organization a critic of the government’s human rights record, said Monday he was threatened by gunpoint Thursday night.

The organization documents human rights abuses, especially in the growing problem of land-grabbing. Heang Rithy is an outspoken critic of the Cambodian government.

Heang Rithy filed a complaint with the Ministry of Interior Friday, claiming he had been driving to his office Thursday night, in Chamkar Mon district, when a luxury car with military police plates pulled in front of him and stopped. The driver pointed a pistol at him and told him to step out of his car and threatened to shoot him, according to the complaint.

Heang Rithy said Monday he was worried the threat was related to his work, especially radio broadcasts on Beehive Radio FM105 criticizing the government’s human rights efforts and detailing rights abuses.

Ministry of Interior officials could not be reached for comment Monday, a national holiday.

Maj. Huot Sam Ol, commander of Chamkar Mon military police, said he received a direct complaint from Heang Rithy.

“But I think it is not a political threat,” he said. “Just a traffic incident.”

Military police would investigate, he said.

Heang Rithy said the threat was not traffic related.

Chan Soveth, an investigator for the rights group Adhoc, said Monday he received a complaint from Heang Rithy but had not yet opened an investigation. It was difficult to judge whether the threat was political or traffic related.

Group Warns Monks Off Politics

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
08 August 2007

A local research organization has written King Norodom Sihamoni warning him that monks and politics don't mix.

The Cambodian National Research Organization said allowing monks to vote would encourage laymen to choose their temples along party lines, countering the spirit of Buddhism.

If monks have the right to vote, they have the right to hold office, said Heang Rithy, head of the research organization, which cold lead to the politicization of the faith.

"In general, monks cannot participate in the elections," he said. "If you allow monks to vote, that means you allow them to run for office as well. This is against the principles of Buddhism. This amounts to making fun of the religion."

Kuol Panha, executive director of the independent Committee for Free and Fair Elections, disagrees. Monks do have the right to vote but they don't have the legal right to run for office, he said.

"Monks can elect political candidates whom they think will serve Buddhism, but they themselves can't run for office," he said.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said monks are capable of objective voting, but they should not participate in political campaigns.

"I personally think that monks have rights like everyone else, to exercise their rights at the polling stations," he said.

Monks have been voting since 1993, and no law forbids it, said Cheam Yeap, a lawmaker for the ruling Cambodian People's Party.

"Monks should be considered as independent voters," Cheam Yeap said. "They can vote. It would be against the Cambodian constitution if you forbid monks from voting."

The constitution allows all men and women of legal age to vote.