Local Observers Support UN Envoy’s Latest Rights Report

Surya Subedi, U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in Cambodia, speaks during a press conference in Phnom Penh, file photo.

Subedi said in his report that upcoming elections face a number of irregularities and need reformed.

04 September 2012

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer

WASHINGTON DC - Local rights advocates and political observers in Cambodia say they support the most recent human rights report issued by the special UN envoy Surya Subedi, despite denials of its veracity by government officials.

Subedi, who visited the country earlier this year, said in his report that upcoming elections face a number of irregularities and need reformed.

He also said that rights workers and journalists continue to face harassment and that the freedom of expression is of “principal concern.” Land disputes remain a concern, he said.

“To me having directly monitored the events for the past few years, it seemed this report revealed the obvious situation in Cambodia in the fields of human rights, rule of law and democracy,” said Lao Monghay, an independent political analyst. “And the report also focuses on the election and mechanisms of the election institution.”

គណបក្សជំទាស់ពីរ ស្នើរក្រសូងមហាផ្ទៃកែប្រែសមាសភាព គ.ជ.ប - Opposition parties ask the MoI to change the NEC roster

United Nations Recommend Drastic Reform of Cambodia’s Election System Prior to July 2013 Polls

28 August 2012

UNITED NATIONS RECOMMEND DRASTIC REFORM OF CAMBODIA’S ELECTION SYSTEM PRIOR TO JULY 2013 POLLS

Overseas Cambodians should be allowed to vote in their countries of residence

In the most recent report published this week of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Professor Surya Subedi makes the following recommendations regarding preparations for the national elections scheduled for July 2013:

1- The National Election Committee (NEC) should be reformed so as to have independent and autonomous status.

2- There should be consensus among the major political parties represented in the parliament on the appointment of the president and members of the NEC and the provincial election committees (PECs).

3- Within the composition of election bodies of all levels, there should be balanced representation of all political parties with representation in the National Assembly.

4- The president and members of the NEC and the PECs should be appointed for a fixed term and have security of tenure.

5- New judicial bodies and mechanisms must be established outside the NEC in order to properly resolve election-related disputes.

6- All major political parties should have fair and equal access to the mass media to convey their messages to the electorate. The way forward could be to establish an independent committee on the management and use of State-run television and radio stations.

7- The Government must ensure that all civil servants, police and military personnel do not participate in political activities or use Government resources while working in their official capacities.

8- The Government must ensure that opposition parties are free to carry out their political activities without harassment and intimidation not only around the dates of elections but also in the lead-up to the elections and throughout the parliamentary cycle.

9- Regarding the registration of voters the Government should expeditiously provide necessary documents, Khmer nationality identity cards, passports and other necessary civil registration documents to all citizens for nominal fees and should reregister voters using the data from those cards as a basis to establish a new electoral roll.

10- Any Cambodian citizen eligible to vote should be entitled to request registration with the electoral and/or local authorities at any point during the year. Once he or she is issued with an identification card, that card should be valid for life.

11- Regarding the continuing problems with voter identity documents, especially the issuance and use of fraudulent documents (such as the old form 1018 and its new current version) the NEC should review the process of issuing such documents to ensure that the system is not abused by political parties in their favour and that there are no electoral malpractices.

12- The NEC should devise special measures to ensure that those who are homeless or have been recently evicted from their land are not disenfranchised in the forthcoming elections.

13- The NEC should make public the names of polling officers and make the voter list available to candidates from all political parties upon request, affording them an opportunity to challenge the fraudulent inclusion of names on the list.

14- The NEC should appoint professional election administrators to replace village chiefs during voter registration and on election day and bring all commune election officers and processes under its own stricter supervision mechanism.

15- The current law, which requires a person to be nominated to stand for election by a political party, should be amended to make it possible for independent candidates to stand in the national elections.

16- The NEC should make it possible for Cambodians living abroad to exercise their voting rights, at least in the countries where it has diplomatic and/or consular representation.

17- Regarding the situation of Sam Rainsy, the leader of the Sam Rainsy Party, who has been convicted on charges that are allegedly politically motivated, a political solution should be found to enable him, as the leader of the opposition, to play a full role in Cambodian politics. 

[End]

https://www.box.com/s/80df2c488145b3ef1d10

On the biased election in Cambodia - Op-Ed by Seyha Sovann

https://www.box.com/s/1bdb21191b68f2b39d93

COMFREL : Summary Finding on 2012 Commune Council Election in Cambodia

Dear All,

COMFREL would like to release its summary finding on 2012 commune council election. Please see the attached for details.

After 2012 commune/sangkat council election in Cambodia, COMFREL compiled a finding report of the electoral process:

• Security issue
• Neutrality and Transparency in the use of state resources
• Voter registration/Voter lists/Voter information cards/Special voter identification document
• Political Party registration and its result
• Mass Media
• Election Campaign and Campaign finance of political parties
• Polling and Counting Days
• Election Complaint
• Verification of election result
• Citizens’ participation
• Women in election
• Youth in Election

For more information related to COMFREL, please visit our official website : www.comfrel.org

Best regards,

COMFREL

https://www.box.com/s/944e600c80b09f5c2aa1

Cambodia, Communes and ... Change? [-It's more like: Commune election and ... more election cheating]

Commune-level elections in Cambodia are a pretty good indicator of the outcome of national elections. Results are hardly ever surprising - but the opposition are now starting to fight back.

5 Jul 2012

By Llyr Soun for ISN Security Watch (Zurich, Switzerland)

the NEC has a very precise map of how a specific part of a village casts their votes. “This contributes to the low [level of] trust that Cambodians have in the elections”

“I’ve won already.”

Although commune elections were only held in early June, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was so sure of their outcome that he made that prediction to the Phnom Penh Post back in January. Moreover, on May 5th, he told the press that he would leave office if he did not get 60% of the votes in the commune elections. It seems he did not have much reason to be anything other than self-assured because, as expected, the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) took 1,592 seats out of 1,633 on June 3. This is an improvement on previous election results and makes the CPP the dominant player in the National Assembly in 2013.

Confusing participation

However, the actual number of Cambodians who actually voted that day remains unclear. According to the National Election Committee (NEC), turnout was initially recorded at 51%, with a revised figure of 65.13% released on June 22nd. A low turnout was also attributed to the lack of proper ballot papers and interest among voters. One may think that electing a local representative would be politically motivating – but as a researcher for Licadho, a local NGO, told ISN Security Watch, “Citizens know that decisions are made at a higher level. Why vote if you know it will not change anything?”

Opposition Senator Begins US Trip in Wake of Elections

Ho Vann is an SRP senator for Phnom Penh. Photo: VOA Khmer

Wednesday, 04 July 2012
Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC

“The election is still flawed and cheating.”

Ho Vann, a newly elected Cambodian senator for the opposition, begins a monthlong trip to the US this week to meet with supporters of the Sam Rainsy Party and update them on the current political situation.

Speaking from Lowell, Mass., Monday, Ho Vann said he was meeting with supporters to describe election irregularities from June’s polls and to seek input on next year’s election.

“The election is still flawed and cheating,” he said.

He himself was unable to properly observe voting in June, he said. Local officials did not let him know the names of voters or observe those getting voter IDs. Practices like this prevented opposition supporters from voting, he said.

Hun Xen's party overwhelmingly wins local elections through widespread election cheating and vote buying

Cambodian prime minister’s party overwhelmingly wins local elections


Sunday, June 24, 2012
By Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodian election officials say Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling party has won an overwhelming victory in local elections.

The National Election Committee announced final results Sunday from the June 3 polls showing that the ruling Cambodian People’s Party won 1,592 of the 1,633 commune chief posts that were at stake.

Opposition parties took the remainder of the seats.

The ruling party earlier claimed victory in the polls and the result was expected. The party has been in power for nearly three decades.

The elections for local governing councils were seen as an indicator of public opinion ahead of general elections expected in 2013.

SCORING OF CONDUCT OF ELECTION IN CAMBODIA

23 June 2012
By Mu Sochua

RED CARD should be handed out to CPP on many accounts including vote buying.

RED CARD should be handed out first to the National Election Committee for lack of impartiality.

One of the essential recommendations of the EU Election Observation Mission, Cambodia, 27 July 20084 Final Report on the National Assembly Elections

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http://www.eueomcambodia.org/English/Final_Report.html

● The government of Cambodia must take credible steps to ensure that the NEC operates as a fully independent institution at all levels in order to enhance its credibility and acceptance among the electorate. Members of the NEC should be approved by a consensus among all political parties represented in the National Assembly. In particular the NEC chairperson should be a person acceptable to all political parties represented in the National Assembly. A limitation of the term in office of the chairperson and members of the NEC should be considered.

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Ruling party's ties with civil servants decried

CPP gifts distributed prior to the commune election

Thursday, 21 June 2012
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

The overtly visible pro-Cambodian People’s Party stance of civil servants and military officials is one of the most widespread and worrying election irregularities, election monitoring organisation Comfrel said yesterday in its final report on the recent June 3 polls.

Click here to read more...

Ruling party's ties with civil servants decried

CPP gifts distributed prior to the commune election

Thursday, 21 June 2012
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

The overtly visible pro-Cambodian People’s Party stance of civil servants and military officials is one of the most widespread and worrying election irregularities, election monitoring organisation Comfrel said yesterday in its final report on the recent June 3 polls.

Comfrel board of directors chairman Thun Saray said that the involvement of civil servants and armed forces personnel in campaigning for the CPP, which scooped up 62 per cent of the commune council vote, has increased and this produced an unfair and nontransparent background to the elections.

“The offering of gifts and money to voters by civil servants and authorities was systematically organised before the election campaign and Comfrel is indignant that, under the Law on Elections, this vote-buying has not been considered a crime,” he said.

Organized Electoral Fraud in Cambodia

June 21, 2012

ORGANIZED ELECTORAL FRAUD IN CAMBODIA

The following is further evidence of organized electoral fraud in this month’s communal elections based on the well-planned issuing of illegal voter identification documents ("Statements of Identity" previously known as "Forms 1018") to inflate votes for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).

The evidence was collected by Mr. Lak Kien, an opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) local leader who, on voting day, June 3, was still the elected chief of Bet Trang commune in Preah Sihanouk province. This meant he was in a position to conduct a serious investigation into the fraud.

By clicking http://tinyurl.com/7ve9n6k you will see documents showing that illegal "Statements of Identity" were secretly and fraudulently issued by CPP officials in Bet Trang commune on the day of the vote.

More precisely there are the references of eleven official booklets, each of them containing fifty "Statements of Identity" with their serial numbers. These "Statements of Identity" were to be issued by Bet Trang commune authorities BEFORE voting day to voters residing in the commune who don’t have the standardized National Identity Card.

But illegally produced "Statements of Identity" have been discovered whose serial numbers DO NOT MATCH their supposed serial numbers as printed on the document stubs in the above-mentioned 11 official booklets. Some of these fraudulent "Statements of Identity" were seized by Mr. Lak Kien on voting day, just minutes or hours after being illegally and surreptitiously issued by CPP officials.

This is not an isolated case. It is part of a pattern of secret, illegal and nationwide fraud under which the CPP issues “Statements of Identity” to manufacture votes for itself.

Combined with other irregularities related to voter disenfranchisement and impersonation, the fraud has led to the distortion of the will of the people. Please find details at http://tinyurl.com/cmmpbd5

In their report on the last national elections in 2008, a team of observers from the European Union made the "key recommendation" that "the use of the Form 1018 should be abolished prior to any future election."

Please read the rationale behind this recommendation at http://tinyurl.com/78epon9 (E.U. Election Observation Mission) and further evidence of systematic fraud at http://tinyurl.com/77hj2us (The Cambodia Daily).

No reform has been implemented, no lesson learnt since the 2008 national elections which, according to the E.U. observers, "fell short of a number of key international standards for democratic elections. "

Sam Rainsy

Elected Member of Parliament

Opposition leader

អាចោរ លួចពី លោកចោរ ដែលចង់បានរង្វាន់ ពីមេចោរលួចជាតិ

មេ​ភូមិ​៦​នាក់​នៅ​អូររាំងឪ​ត្រូវ​គេ​បោក​ពី​ការ​ដែលជួយ CPPឲ្យ ឈ្នះ​ឆ្នោត

20 June 2012
ម៉ៃ ទិត្យ​ថារ៉ា​
The Phnom Penh Post

មេភូមិ​៦​នាក់​នៅ​ក្នុង​ឃុំ​ចក​និង​ឃុំ​គងជ័យ​ បាន​ចាញ់​បោក​គេ​អស់​ម្នាក់ៗ​ពី​៥០​ទៅ​៧០​ដុល្លារ​ដោយ​សារ​តែ​ជន​មួយ​ ក្រុម​បាន​ទូរស័ព្ទ​ទៅ​ប្រាប់​ថា​ លោក​នាយក​រដ្ឋ​មន្ដ្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ​បាន​ផ្ដល់​មេដាយ​ឲ្យ​មេ​ភូមិ​ពី​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​ណាដែល​ជួយបក្សឲ្យឈ្នះ​ឆ្នោត​ពី​ថ្ងៃទី​ ០៣​ ខែមិ​ថុនា​ - ដូចជាភរមិនសូវសម មិនស្គាល់មុខ អ្នកសន្យា និងអ្នក ប្រមូលលុយ?

កំពង់ចាមៈ អាជ្ញាធរ​ស្រុក​អូររាំងឪ នឹង​បញ្ជូន​សំណុំ​រឿង​ទាក់ទិន​និង​លោក​មេ​ភូមិ​ចំនួន​៦​នាក់​នៅ​ឃុំ​ចក​ និង​ឃុំ​ទង​ជ័យ ​ដែល​ត្រូវ​គេ​បោក​ប្រាស់​យក​លុយ​ពី​ការ​ផ្តល់​មេដាយ​និង​ម៉ូតូ​ពី​ការ ដែលជួយ CPP ​ឲ្យឈ្នះ​ឆ្នោត ​ទៅ​អគ្គនាយកដ្ឋាន​នគរបាល​ជាតិ នាយកដ្ឋាន​សន្តិសុខ​កណ្តាល​ផ្ទៃ​ក្នុង​ដើម្បី​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​រក​ជនល្មើស​។

លោក ញ៉ែម សុខម អធិការ​នគរបាល​ស្រុក​អូររាំងឪ​បាន​ថ្លែង​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ថា​ សមត្ថកិច្ច​មិន​ទាន់​ដឹង​អំពី​អត្តសញ្ញាណ​ជនល្មើស​នោះ​ទេ​ តែ​ថា ​កំពុង​រៀបចំ​សំណុំ​រឿង​បញ្ជូន​ទៅ​នាយកដ្ឋាន​សន្តិសុខ​កណ្តាល​ផ្ទៃ​ ក្នុង​ធ្វើ​ការ​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​លើ​លេខ​ទូរស័ព្ទ​ពួក​គេ ដើម្បី​រក​អត្តសញ្ញាណ​។ ​លោក​ថា​ ៖ «ខ្ញុំ​មិន​អាច​និយាយ​អ្វី​បាន​ទាំង​អស់​ពីព្រោះ​ពេល​នេះ​ ស្ថិត​នៅ​ក្នុង​ដំណាក់​កាល​ស៊ើប​អង្កេត​ ខ្លាច​ជនល្មើស​រត់​បាត់​អស់»។

លោក រស់ សុខន អភិបាល​ស្រុក​អូររាំងឪ​បាន​ប្រាប់​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ថា មេភូមិ​៦​នាក់​នៅ​ក្នុង​ឃុំ​ចក​និង​ឃុំ​គងជ័យ​ បាន​ចាញ់​បោក​គេ​អស់​ម្នាក់ៗ​ពី​៥០​ទៅ​៧០​ដុល្លារ​ដោយ​សារ​តែ​ជន​មួយ​ ក្រុម​បាន​ទូរស័ព្ទ​ទៅ​ប្រាប់​ថា​ លោក​នាយក​រដ្ឋ​មន្ដ្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ​បាន​ផ្ដល់​មេដាយ​ឲ្យ​មេ​ភូមិ​ពី​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​ណាដែល​ជួយបក្សឲ្យឈ្នះ​ឆ្នោត​ពី​ថ្ងៃទី​ ០៣​ ខែមិ​ថុនា​។

Monitor Counts Irregularities at Half of Last Month’s Polling Stations

Cambodian Buddhist monk, right, casts his ballot in local elections at Wat Than pagoda's polling station in Phnom Penh, Sunday, June 3, 2012 Photo: AP

Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Kong Sotharnarith, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

"The NEC must be improved if elections in the country are to be considered free and fair."

The Committee for Free and Fair Elections said Wednesday Cambodia needs to reform the National Election Committee ahead of parliamentary polls next July.

The independent monitoring organization counted 3,000 irregularities at 5,810 polling stations in last month’s local elections, it announced Wednesday.

The NEC must be improved if elections in the country are to be considered free and fair, said Thun Saray, president of the rights group Adhoc, who also heads Comfrel.

“Comfrel urgently urges the government, donors and civil society to start discussing the improved composition of the NEC,” he told reporters Wednesday.

CPP election cheaters got CONNED!

Chiefs cry foul after swallowing bogus story

Wednesday, 20 June 2012
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post

Officials from Kampong Cham province are hunting a conman who allegedly extorted money from six village chiefs in return for “gifts” from Prime Minister Hun Sen that he claimed would be awarded for their service to the government during this month’s commune election.

The village chiefs said the conman told them the premier was so impressed by their efforts to secure a commune seat for the Cambodian People’s Party during the elections, that he wished to bestow medals of honour, but that it would cost money to get them.

“A man called me and told me there were two choices of honour awards: one was an honourable award and the other was a moto, so I told the man I wanted a moto.

“Then he replied that if I wanted a moto I had to pay US$100,” Noun Nin said, adding that the two had negotiated and agreed on a price of $70 in two instalments.

SRP commune candidate in Omlaing - whom the CPP tried to buy out - won the election

កញ្ញា តឹក នីម ក្នុងវ័យ២៨ឆ្នាំ ដែលជាសមាជិករបស់គណបក្ស​សម រង្ស៊ី និងជាបេក្ខភាពលេខ រៀងទី១ នៅក្នុងឃុំអមលាំង ស្រុកថ្ពង ខេត្តកំពង់ស្ពឺ ដែលធ្លាប់បានទទួលការលួងលោមទិញទឹក ចិត្តពីសំណាក់ សមាជិករបស់គណបក្សប្រជាជន នៅមុនពេលបោះឆ្នោតឃុំ-សង្កាត់នោះ ឥលូវ​នេះកញ្ញា តឹក នីម បានទទួល ជោគជ័យ ក្នុងការ ដណ្តើម ជាមេឃុំ អមលាំង ពីគណបក្ស ប្រជាជន របស់លោក ហ៊ុន សែន ហើយ ។

បេក្ខភាពលេខរៀងទី១របស់គណបក្ស សម រង្ស៊ី ឃុំអមលាំង ស្រុកថ្ពង ខេត្តកំពង់ស្ពឺ ដែលត្រូវបានសមាជិកគណបក្សប្រជាជន លួងលោម ទិញទឹកចិត្តមុនបោះឆ្នោត បានជាប់ជាមេឃុំ

Tuesday, June 19, 2012
CKN-Media

ភាពជោគជ័យរបស់កញ្ញា តឹក នីម​ សមាជិករបស់គណបក្ស សម រង្ស៊ី គឺជាជោគជ័យ​របស់​ប្រជា​ពលរដ្ឋនៅ ក្នុង ឃុំអមលាំង ស្រុកថ្ពង ខេត្តកំពង់ស្ពឺ ដែលបានរើខ្លួនរួចពីការជិះជាន់ គាបសង្កត់​ពី​សំណាក់ មេឃុំចាស់ ដែល ជា មនុស្សរបស់ គណបក្ស ប្រជាជន ដែលតែងតែ ធ្វើបាប ប្រជាបលរដ្ឋ គ្មានពេលល្ហែរ ដើម្បី ផ្គាប់ចិត្ត ឈ្មួញ និងក្រុម ហ៊ុនទុច្ចរឹត ដែលបាន រំលោភ យកដី របស់ ប្រជាពល រដ្ឋទាំងកុំរោល នោះ ដោយគេ មិនបាន ខ្វាយខ្វល់ ពីអ្វីទាំងអស់ ។

កញ្ញា តឹក នីម បន្ទាប់ពីបានជាប់ជាមេឃុំហើយនោះ គឺតែងតែធ្វើសកម្មភាពយ៉ាងស្វាហាប់ដើម្បី បំពេញតំរូវការ របស់បងប្អូនប្រជាពលរដ្ឋនៅក្នុងឃុំ ដូចអ្វីដែលលោកស្រីមេឃុំបានធ្វើការសន្យា ជាមួយនិងប្រជាពលរដ្ឋកាល​ ពីអំឡុងពេលឃោសនាយ៉ាងដូច្នោះដែរ ។ លោកស្រីមេឃុំទើបជាប់ឆ្នោតបាន ប្រាប់ថា លោកស្រី មានការ សប្បាយចិត្ត ខ្លាំង ណាស់ ដែល ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ នៅក្នុងឃុំ បានផ្តល់ទំនុក ចិត្តមកលើរូបគាត់ ហើយគាត់ និងខិតខំ ធ្វើការងារគ្រប់ បែបយ៉ាង នៅក្នុងឃុំ ដើម្បីប្រយោជន៏ របស់​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ និងដើម្បី កេរ្តិ៏ឃុំអមលាំង មួយនេះផងដែរ ។ លោកស្រី មេឃុំ បានបន្តរ ទៀតថា សូមឲ្យ ស្មារតីរបស់ ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ ទាំងអស់នៅទូទាំង ប្រទេស ដែលត្រូវ ទទួល រង នូវការ រំលោភដីធ្លី ផ្ទះសម្បែង រួមជាមួយ និងការ រិះជាន់ ធ្វើបាប មួយចំនួនទៀត ពីសំណាក់ មន្រ្តី ខិចខូច ក្រុមហ៊ុន និង ឈ្មួញទុច្ចរឹតនោះ សូមចូលរួមជា មួយនិងគណបក្ស សម រង្ស៊ី ដើម្បីយើង រើខ្លួនចេញ ឲ្យផុតពីទុក្ខ លំបាកវេទនា នេះ ទៀត ដូចជាប្រជាពលរដ្ឋនៅក្នុងឃុំអមលាំង ស្រុកថ្ពង ខេត្តកំពង់ស្ពឺ ជាគំរូ បានធ្វើបង្ហាញឲ្យយើង ទាំងអស់ គ្នាបានឃើញស្រាប់ ។

NEC says civil servant did not illegally campaign [-Another case of NEC's twisting justice?]

Thursday, 14 June 2012
Kim Yuthana
The Phnom Penh Post

The National Election Committee has rejected a complaint filed against Pen Siman, director-general of the General Department of Customs and Excise, for allegedly using state time to campaign for the Cambodian People’s Party before the recent commune elections.

The complaint, by opposition Sam Rainsy Party legislator Chea Poch, alleges Pen Siman went to Tany commune, in Kampot, on May 30 to tout CPP leaders Chea Sim, Heng Samrin and Hun Sen’s record on prosperity and development.

It alleged Pen Siman met with about 200 teachers there to solicit support for the CPP.

Democrats must become a credible alternative to stop Hun Sen and the CPP

[Cambodian Democrats] have to be better. No Cambodian and no foreigner will take the risk to support a contender whom they see as no different from the incumbent. As they say . . . better the devil you know.

June 15, 2012

An article by Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth published by the Asian Human Rights Commission

Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party's victories in local elections were pre-ordained.

Hun Sen rode to power under the guns of some 200,000 Vietnamese troops who crossed the border with Cambodia on Christmas Eve 1978, captured Phnom Penh in January 1979, and stayed in Cambodia as occupiers until 1989. They installed Hun Sen as premier in 1985.

A former Khmer Rouge defector to Vietnam, Hun Sen lost the 1993-United Nations organized elections, and used threats to win the post of second-premier. In 1997, he launched a coup d'etat against the first-premier. For 27 years, since 1985, premier Hun Sen has controlled Cambodia's administrative apparatus, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. He has become a dictator.

The "pagoda boy," as he called himself -- in reference to his childhood -- learned fast. Now 59, he says he wants to stay in power for life. He promises an open investment environment to the world's thirsty investors – 99 years leases on land concessions and availability of natural resources -- backed by political stability. He plays well on the world's appetite for democracy and elections. He allows just enough free expression as he carefully controls media outlets and public demonstrations sufficient to air some grievances. He's quick to tell potential transgressors he will "close the door and beat the dogs." He encourages elections, but ensures his opponents don't win. He and his party intimidate and bribe hungry citizens for votes.

The country has experienced economic growth for the last decade; investors and tourists remark upon Cambodia's skyscrapers, world class gambling casinos, and shopping malls. The regime siphons some $500 million of development aid yearly. Land grabbing and forced evictions allow Hun Sen and his cronies to get rich as they sell the co-opted property to investors, keeping a portion of the profit. One third of Cambodians live on 61 cents a day. Poverty has increased, particularly in rural areas. Corruption is rampant. Violations of rights are routine.

Foreign Minister, Clinton Meet Amid Growing Rights Concerns - រដ្ឋ​មន្ត្រី ​ការបរទេស​ កម្ពុជា ​អាមេរិក ​ជួបគ្នា​ ខណៈ​ពេល ​មាន ​ការ​ព្រួយ​បារម្ភ ​ពី ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស

Cambodia’s foreign minister met with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington on Monday. Photo: by Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer

Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Reporters, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC

“We want to see the US with better friends, rather than seeking friendship with dictators who constantly exploit the US."

Cambodia’s foreign minister met with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington on Monday, amid growing concerns over Cambodia’s rights record and complaints of election irregularities in polls last week.

Clinton will travel to Cambodia for a major Asean conference in Phnom Penh next month, where she said the US has “many issues to discuss.”

Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said after the meeting the Cambodia was seeking greater US investment in Cambodia.

“Cambodia hopes that the volume of US investment and trade between the two sides will increase over time,” the foreign minister told a forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in Washington.

A group of Cambodian-American protesters gathered outside the State Department during the meeting, demanding the release of 15 demonstrators from prison and improved human rights.

Ou Kim Huot, a protester from Pennsylvania, said the relationship with Cambodia and US has improved, but Cambodia still must improve its rights record.

“We want to see the US with better friends, rather than seeking friendship with dictators who constantly exploit the US,” Ou Kim Huot said.

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ថ្ងៃពុធ, 13 ខែមិថុនា 2012

ដោយ ម៉ែន គឹមសេង វីអូអេ ខ្មែរ

ជំនួប​រវាង​​លោក​ហោ ណាំ​ហុង​ រដ្ឋ​មន្ត្រី ការបទេស​កម្ពុជា​​​ជាមួយ​នឹង​លោក​ស្រី​ហ៊ីលឡារី គ្លីនតុន​​កាលពី​ថ្ងៃ​អង្គារ​មាន​គោល​បំណង​ពង្រឹង​ទំនាក់​ទំនង​ការទូត​និង​ពាណិជ្ជកម្ម​រវាង​ប្រទេស​ទាំងពីរ​ប៉ុន្តែ​មន្ត្រី​នានា​បញ្ជាក់​ថា​ប្រទេស​ទាំងពីរ​ក៏​បាន​ពិភាក្សា​បញ្ហា​ផ្សេង​ទៀត​ក្នុង​នោះ​បញ្ហា​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​និង​ប្រាក់​បំណុល​ដែលកម្ពុជា​ជំពាក់​ផង​ដែរ។

លោក​ស្រី​ហ៊ីលឡារី គ្លីនតុនបាន​បញ្ជាក់​ប្រាប់​ក្រុម​អ្នក​រាយការណ៍​ព័ត៌មាន​នៅ​ឯ​ក្រសួង​ការបរទេស​សហរដ្ឋ​អាមេរិក​ថា​លោក​ស្រី​ក៏​នឹង​ត្រូវ​ទៅ​ចូល​រួម​កិច្ច​ប្រជុំ​ថ្នាក់​តំបន់​របស់​អាស៊ាន​​នៅ​ខែ​ក្រោយ​​បន្ត​ទៀត។

CAMBODIA’S PEACEFUL AND CROOKED COMMUNE ELECTIONS

SRP MP Mu Sochua campaigning during the commune election (Photo:Philip Skoczkowski)

VIOLENCE GIVES WAY TO DISENFRANCHISEMENT, IMPERSONATION IN JUNE 3 POLL

The Cambodia Daily - Monday, June 11, 2012
By Mu Sochua

More sophisticated election manipulation techniques meant the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) could afford to reduce the level of political violence, while ensuring victory before voting day even arrived. These techniques, used on an unprecedented scale in June 3 commune elections, are disenfranchisement, to reduce votes for the opposition, and impersonation, to inflate votes for the ruling party. The tools used are non-existent ghost voters and fraudulent voter identification documents. The elections were even more unreal as voter turnout dropped from more than 80% previously to a historic low of 60%.

Yet, the CPP was unable to prevent a shift in the balance of power in favor of the democratic opposition represented by the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and the Human Rights Party (HRP). This resulted from the collapse of CPP’s two docile “royalist” allies: Funcinpec (FUN) and the Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP).

Compared with results from previous local elections in 2007, the CPP and its two allies lost 295 commune councilor positions to the two democratic opposition parties. The latter now control at least 125 communes compared with 28 in 2007. This is based on the composition of commune councils where the combined opposition controls a majority of votes, regardless of the political affiliation of the commune chief.

With 3.64 million votes, the CPP increased its share of the popular vote from 58.1 percent at the last national assembly elections in 2008, to 62 percent. This resulted mainly from voter impersonation on an unprecedented scale. In the absence of impersonation, ballot tampering, intimidation and vote buying, the CPP would have hit a ceiling at about 2.5 million votes, or 40 percent, similar to what they obtained at the U.N.-organized national assembly elections in 1993.

‘Unequal’ Tactics Led to CPP Election Win, Monitors Say

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen gestures after casting his ballot in local elections at Ta Khmau town, in Kandal province, Sunday, June 3, 2012. Hun Sen's ruling party was expected to win the elections in a vote that monitors say is tainted by vote buying and other irregularities. (Photo: AP)

Friday, 08 June 2012
Reporters, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

“Whoever is placed there cannot speak out openly."

The ruling Cambodian People’s Party had a strong showing in this week’s commune election, in part because they have a strong political system in place, observers say. But they also have leveraged the power of the media to their advantage and are able to use public servants and the security forces in campaigning.

Koul Panha, head of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, called the state-run and pro-CPP media an “unequal arm” in the election process that helped win it votes.

The Cambodian People’s Party swept the commune elections on Sunday, winning nearly 1,600 of 1,633 commune chief positions. The opposition Sam Rainsy and Human Rights parties split 40 commune chief seats, with 22 and 18, respectively.

Opposition officials say they hope to meet in Manila, Philippines, next week to discuss joining together to improve their odds in next year’s general election.