Politically motivated intimidation and imprisonment of editors, reporters and human rights defenders continue in Cambodia: SEAPA

SEAPA outlines press freedom battles for 2010

2010-01-28
EM News

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) released a new report covering press freedom vulnerabilities throughout the region. After the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) shifts from Thailand to Vietnam in 2010, its approach to press freedom will have a crucial influence on issues like impunity, election coverage and access to the Internet, says the report.

Struggles faced by journalists and media workers in Southeast Asia in 2009 continue. The massacre of 32 journalists last November in the Philippines was the most vicious example of a culture of impunity that exists throughout the region. Journalists also suffered from physical threats, imprisonment and legal harassment, while national security laws are being used as an excuse to curb free speech and defamation remains a criminal offense.

The report, "Southeast Asia's Press Freedom Challenges for 2010", provides country profiles detailing the free expression battles that lie ahead. Burmese media must be able to provide independent coverage of upcoming elections to educate Burmese citizens and to monitor the integrity of the polls, says the report. In Cambodia politically motivated intimidation and imprisonment of editors, reporters and human rights defenders continue. Religious tensions in Malaysia are being used as an excuse to restrict press freedom and Internet access.

Vietnam's repression of dissent and arrest of journalists and bloggers in 2009 takes on greater significance as it heads up ASEAN this year, says the report. The country gets some credit for discussions with international organisations, including London-based ARTICLE 19, on increasing its citizen's access to information. But the recent harsh prison sentence for human rights defender and lawyer Le Cong Dinh sets a different tone for its approach to free speech. At least 12 Vietnamese bloggers were arrested in 2009. The state has also criminalised peaceful dissent which it sees as anti-governmental activity.

Last year's formation of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) has created a platform for free expression advocates to challenge authorities. However, Vietnam's leadership of AICHR is being questioned by rights activists throughout the region, says the report.

Critics slam Cambodia's rulers on free speech

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

PHNOM PENH (AFP) — An international rights group has criticised Cambodia's ruling party for allegedly stifling free speech through the use of legal action against government critics.

New York-based Human Rights Watch called on Premier Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party to stop "its threats, harassment and spurious legal action against members of parliament and lawyers defending free expression".

Cambodian authorities have lodged at least eight criminal defamation and disinformation complaints against government critics since April.

"These lawsuits are a clear attempt to intimidate the opposition and prevent members of parliament from exercising free expression," said Brad Adams, Asia director for Human Rights Watch.

"Even by Cambodian standards, the state of freedom of expression and democratic rights is growing more fragile by the day," he added.

The National Assembly is expected to decide next week whether to strip parliamentary immunity from Mu Sochua, a lawmaker from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, so that a criminal defamation case against her can proceed.

The charges stem from a now dismissed lawsuit she filed against Hun Sen for allegedly making derogatory comments about her.

The UN's human rights office in Cambodia also issued a briefing Monday warning the spate of lawsuits against critics could nurture "fear, frustration and anger, with the risk of leading to further conflict and violence".

Cambodia lawmaker in court threat

Sam Rainsy says the allegations are linked to July's election

Wednesday, 18 June 2008
By Guy Delauney
BBC News, Phnom Penh

The leader of Cambodia's main opposition party is facing the possibility of prosecution just weeks before the country's general election.

The Phnom Penh municipal court has asked the National Assembly to remove Sam Rainsy's parliamentary immunity from prosecution.

Cambodia's foreign minister has brought allegations of defamation and disinformation against him.

Sam Rainsy has described the legal moves as a "political threat".

If the National Assembly agrees with the court's request, the opposition leader could be called in for questioning, prosecuted and possibly jailed.

A conviction for defamation no longer results in a prison term. The law was changed after an outcry over its use to detain several human rights activists two years ago.

But Sam Rainsy also faces a charge of disinformation - which does allow for a custodial sentence.

Election run-up

The Foreign Minister, Hor Namhong, pressed charges over remarks the opposition leader made about him in a speech.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has also ordered an investigation into allegations that Sam Rainsy Party officials were connected to domestic terrorist groups.

Sam Rainsy himself has dismissed both sets of allegations as attempts to intimidate voters in the run-up to the general election.

But a government spokesman accused the opposition leader of playing "dirty tricks".

The leader of Cambodia's second-largest opposition party, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, is currently in self-imposed exile.

He faces an 18-month jail term for breach of trust if he returns to Cambodia.

Cambodia opposition candidate faces defamation charge

Monday, 09 June 2008
ABC Radio Australia

A Cambodian newspaper publisher who is an opposition candidate in next month's elections has been charged with defaming Cambodia's foreign minister.

Dam Sith, a candidate for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, has been charged with defaming Hor Namhong in an article about the Khmer Rouge.

Human rights activists have accused the government of the prime minister, Hun Sen, of using the courts to intimidate the opposition ahead of the general election.

Hun Sen is widely expected to win the parliamentary election, possibly with a clear majority of seats.

Political threats increase ahead of the election

09 May 2008
By Sophorn
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

“Sometime, for the other parties, we see that they have no hope during the election, so they invent some of the (threat and intimidation) stories to make the CPP look bad” - CPP MP Cheam Yeap's excuse for the CPP political threats and intimidations

A coalition of civil society organizations indicated that the number of political threats ahead of the general election for the 4th legislative mandate is increasing in a worrysome number.

Mar Sophal, an official of the Comfrel election organization, indicated on 08 May that the intimidation on non-ruling political parties increases because of the approaching election campaign. Mar Spohal said: “In the last few months, we observe that the number of threats and intimidations increases, in particular against activists who to do not belong to the ruling party, this is a cause of concern.”

On 08 May, the civil society issued a common statement calling for a guarantee to a free and fair election atmosphere in Cambodia, and it also expressed its concerns about the political threats, in particular threats against members of the non-ruling parties.

In response to the civil society demand, CPP MP Cheam Yeap said that the leadership of the (CPP) party educates their members to act properly. Cheam Yeap said: “Sometime, for the other parties, we see that they have no hope during the election, so they invent some of the (threat and intimidation) stories to make the CPP look bad.”

Tep Nytha, secretary-general of the National Election Committee (NEC) indicated that the situation prior to the upcoming election is better than those in the previous elections, and the NEC has also prepared its strategy with the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and the local authorities to review the situation before the upcoming 4th legislative mandate election.

Tep Nytha said: “We maintain permanent reviews, and we exchange information. For example, there are weekly meetings between the Provincial Election Committees (PEC) and the NEC to review the situation and to resolve problems or problems that may arise. In this matter, we are doing the same. The number of political parties which registered (for the election with the NEC) is 6. I am informing you also that these 6 parties can present their candidates in all 24 provinces and municipalities.”

According to the civil society calling statement, the political threats made against activists of parties competing against the ruling CPP party, were done through lawsuits against former party members by the party these members left from. Such action is nothing more than a political threat in order to weaken the supporters of the new party through the use of the justice system. Such a case can be seen in the lawsuit against Prince Ranariddh by his former party, the Funcinpec, (in order to weaken Prince Ranariddh’s NRP).

As Election Approaches, Violent Legacy Remains

CPP-controlled authority used police force to destroy opposition banner (Photo: SRP)

By Suon Kanika, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
01 May 2008

Click here to listen to the program in Khmer

[Editor's note: In the weeks leading into national polls, VOA Khmer will explore a wide number of election issues. The "Election Issues 2008" series will air stories on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by a related "Hello VOA" guest on Thursday. This is the first in a two-part series examining election monitors.]

There has been tranquility ahead of national election campaigns, but election monitors say there is still violence as Election Day approaches.

Election monitors have been recording pre-election violence. So far, the Committee for Free and Fair Elections has recorded 29 cases of violence.

Most of the cases have occurred in Kampong Thom, Kampong Speu, Kompong Chnang, Kampong Cham and Kandal provinces.

“The intimidation of activists of the political parties are very disturbing aims at the approach of elections,” said Mar Sophal, a Comfrel monitor.

Meanwhile, Yang Kim Eng, director of the Youth Council of Cambodia, said that although there are cases of irregularities, including the destruction of party signs, the violence that has marred other elections is not as serious.

However, he said, the National Election Committee must still resolve some complaints of violence by political parties.

NEC Secretary-General Tep Nitha told VOA Khmer the committee pushed for investigations into political violence, but some of the worst cases were the duty of the courts.

Though the violence has been less than in the past, there is still enough to affect the electoral outcome, said Hang Puthea, director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections.

Last year’s commune election saw a drop of voter participation: 68 percent, compared to 90 percent in 1993.

Political Cartoon: CPP's Culture

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Report from a political activist in Cambodia
Posted anonymously online

In one of the many meetings in Takeo the local CPP members staged their own meetings a few hundreds feet to the left and a few hundred feet to the right of our meeting. They aimed both of their loud speakers at our function. Other times, they sent their village chief and their representatives to sit in with hundreds of our activists. The CPP hoped that they would intimidate the whole audience not to express their concerns against Cambodian government headed by the CPP. They were wrong. The cheering from our enthusiastic crowd were much louder and more cheerful than those few bunches of sour faced oppressors.

Non-CPP activists have to face all kinds of intimidation by the ruling party members both locally and nationally. However, I have seen the trend of courage among all people who have been victimized by such government cruelties. They have no more fear... They demand nothing more than a fair chance to live with dignity, free from all kinds of oppression (internal and external) with an equal opportunity to earn a decent living.

Stop the intimidation, it will be backfired always.